The Legend of the Dream Keeper: The First Dream
by Pax the Dreamer
Summary: Disclamer: I do NOT own Paper Mario or anything else of Nintendo's. The very first story in a HUGE series of stories I'm finnaly writing! Paper Mario based and all that Jazz. Read, Review, and Enjoy! Rated T Chapters 45 and up. All else is K-Plus
1. Chapter 1: It All Begins

**Author's Notes: Here it is! The story that everyone has been waiting for! The Legend of the Dream Keeper! Enjoy!**

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_**The Legend of the Dream Keeper**_

_**Part 1: The Dream Keeper**_

_**Book 1: The First Dream**_

_**Chapter 1: It all begins…**_

Look, I never asked to be the Dream Keeper. It's just one of those things that just happened without my permission. One minute, I'm a semi-normal 14 year old boy, and the next minute… BAM! I'm dragged into a war with the Nightmares. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning…

It all started with a dream. I know that sounds corny, but it's true. In fact, it quite literally started with a dream. Anyway, I was playing the original Paper Mario game on my Wii the previous night, so I wasn't surprised when I dreamed of just that. I only notice now how odd it was that the dream perfectly matched the opening sequence, but oh well.

"Mail call!" a voice came from outside. A Parrakay was hovering in front of the mailbox near the Mario Bros. House. After he announced this, he flew away.

Luigi stepped out of the house and checked the mail. He carried it back into the house.

"Hey, Mario!" he yelled to his big brother. "We got a letter from Princess Peach!"

Mario stepped out of the next room. I was sort of hovering over him, sort of like what happens in a dream.

"I'll read it to you, OK?" Luigi asked.

He opened the letter.

"All right," he said, "let's see…"

"I'm throwing a party at my castle today!" Luigi read. "Mario and Luigi, I would be honored if you both could attend. Many guests from distant towns are hoping to meet you. There will be tasty sweets and all kinds of entertainment! I hope to see you here soon! Sincerely, Peach."

We both left the house and dived into a green pipe. When we emerged, we were in toad town. We then walked through the town and to Peach's castle, passing a few Toads along the way.

"What a magnificent castle!" Luigi said when we reached the castle. "I never get used to this place. It looks like lots of guests are already here."

And they were. Not only Toads were there, but pretty much any creature from the mushroom Kingdom you can imagine.

It was then Mario walked through the doors and toward Princess Peach's room. I was just hovering around sort of, hanging in for the ride. You ever had it where you weren't doing anything in a dream, just watching it like a movie? That's what was happening to me.

Eventually, Mario reached Princess Peach.

"Oh, Mario!" she said. "You came to the party to see me! You're so sweet! Thank you!"

Mario walked closer to her.

"I was just resting a bit," Peach said. "It gets tiring, greeting all those guests out there! Nobody will bother us here. Shall we relax and chat, just the two of us?"

Mario nodded.

"It was a lovely day today," Peach said, "so I'm sure it's comfortable out on the balcony right now. Would you accompany me, Mario?"

Mario and Peach started to the balcony. Suddenly, the castle began to shake. They didn't know it, but it was being lifted into the air. The two of them were running back and forth. (Why they were, though, I'll never know.)

Eventually, the shaking stopped, and the two slowed down and stopped.

"Oh!" Peach shouted. (Have you ever noticed that's the first think the princess says after something strange happens?) "Are you all right, Mario? What in the world was that?"

She turned around and looked out the window. She jumped, and Mario turned around as well. Outside the window, stars filled the sky.

"Oh my!" Peach said. "Look, Mario!" It's still daytime, isn't it? …But I can see stars outside!" (Thank you, captain obvious.)

Suddenly, Bowser and an old hag crashed through the window.

"Guaa ha ha ha ha ha!" Bowser laughed. "Long time no see, Princess Peach!"

"…Bowser!" Peach said. "But this can't be! It was you who made the ground shake just now, wasn't it!? Whatever did you do?"

"Gwa ha ha ha!" Bowser laughed. (Honestly, why do villains get into a laughing fit? It never made sense to me.) "Yeah, that was me! I've lifted your castle up into the sky! It's sitting on my castle now! Weren't expecting that, huh? Ha! This castle's under my control now, my dear! Now you will obey ME!"

Mario jumped forward, getting in a fighting position.

"Huh!?" Bowser shouted. "What? It's… Mario!!! What a shock! Ha! Not really! I expected you to turn up, right on cue. You're just as annoying as ever. Unfortunately for you, there's nothing you can do this time."

"Haven't you learned your lesson by now, Bowser?" Peach asked. "You can never defeat Mario! Why don't you give up already?" (Because otherwise, the games wouldn't be fun.)

"True, true," Bowser said, getting in a strange laughing position with his hands above his head, "I have had my problems in the past… But this time is different! This time I'm gonna win!"

"Okay, tough guy!" Bowser shouted to Mario, getting into a battle position himself. "Let's go!"

"Mario, you can do it!" Peach said. (Of course she believes, otherwise she wouldn't have a body guard.)

Mario dashed forward and jumped on Bowser. Bowser retaliated by punching Mario. Mario got back up on his feet, and jumped on Bowser again. They continued this pattern for a few minutes. Truthfully, I was getting very bored very quickly.

"Good old Mario… always fighting," Bowser said eventually. "You're a thorn in my side. But today, your pathetic little attacks won't beat me!"

He then pulled out a rod with a star on it. I could feel its power. Mario could to, apparently, as he took a step back.

"Take a look at this!" Bowser bragged. "Look what I stole from the Star Haven! It's the Star Rod! This fine piece of work has the power to grant any wish in the whole wide world! And when I use the Star Rod to increase my strength, even you can't beat me, Mario!"

Light flashed from the Star Rod, and Bowser began to glow a rainbow color. I didn't know why, but I felt like I was being pushed away from him.

"Gwa ha ha ha ha ha!" Bowser laughed. "How do you like that, Mario!?"

Bowser than walked up to Mario and punched him again, causing a considerable amount of damage to him. Panting, Mario jumped on Bowser again. Unfortunatly, Bowser didn't even so much as flinch.

"Gwa ha ha ha ha ha!" Bowser laughed. "Is that all you got? How sad! You'd best take some vitamins, 'cause that didn't hurt at all!"

He hit Mario again. I could see that he was in danger now. Mario forced himself up and used all his energy to attack Bowser. (I have to give him props, he never gives up.) Unfortunately, it did the same amount of damage as it had last time.

"Yup, just as I expected," Bowser said. "Mario's no match for the new me. It's not even worth my time to toy with you anymore, Mario. It's time to end this! Here we go, Mario! Good night!"

Bowser than breathed a huge amount of fire at Mario. He couldn't take it, and was knocked out instantly.

"Oh no!" Peach shrieked. "Mario! Get up!"

Mario was completely out cold, however, and didn't even stir at Peach's words.

"Yes!" Bowser yelled, back in his laughing pose. "Oh, yeah! I did it! I finally did it! I beat my old rival Mario! Yessss!"

"Congratulations on your victory, Your Viciousness!" the old hag said to Bowser. "That's why you're the King!"

"As long as I have this Star Rod, everything I wish will come true!" Bowser said, holding the Star Rod over his head triumphantly. "No one can stop me now!"

"Well, well, well…" Bowser continued, tuning to Mario. "I guess I might as well get rid of Mario. He's no good to anyone now, that's for sure."

Bowser held up the Star Rod, and a bolt of lightning struck Mario, and blasted him out the now-broken window. Mario fell down toward the earth below. (Although how there was any gravity, let alone air up that far in space, I'll never know.)

"Oh, no!" Peach shrieked, looking out the window. "Mario------!!!"

Mario continued to fall through the air. He eventually reached a thick patch of clouds. The strange thing was, as he fell through the clouds, I was falling toward him. When he got through the clouds, I saw that I was looking through Mario's eyes. I was Mario. I was falling.

Then, I did what any other 14 year old boy would do in my situation.

I fainted.

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**Author's Note: Well, how was it? Please review! Oh, and part of what I'm loving about writing this story is that I have an excuse to replay Paper Mario! Horray!**


	2. Chapter 2: I Put on the Red Cap

**Author's Notes: Well, here's chapter 2! Enjoy!**

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_**Chapter 2: I put on the red cap.**_

"_Mario…"_ a voice said. _"Can you hear me, Mario…? I'm Eldstar, a Star Spirit… I have something very important to tell you… it concerns the princess… and all of the Mushroom Kingdom… But sadly, I haven't the strength to talk to you here… Mario… I need to have you come to Shooting Star Summit. Please… Mario… We Star Spirits will be waiting for you at the summit…"_

I then opened my eyes and sat up. It was strange, because I was in a completely different area then when I went to bed.

"What the…" I said. I jumped out of bed and took a look around. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought it looked like a Toad house from Paper Mario. The door opened, and I jumped in surprise, because standing right there was a Toad from the Paper Mario games.

"Oh… Mario!" he said excitingly. "I'm so happy to see you awake!"

"Mario?" I asked. "What are you talking abo-"

It was then I turned around and looked in a mirror. Only the reflection wasn't of me.

It was of Mario.

Of course, I screamed. I mean, who wouldn't?

"What's wrong?" the Toad asked.

"This can't be real," I said to myself. "It must be a dream! Yeah that's it!"

I pinched myself, but didn't wake up. In fact, it hurt as bad as if I really pinched myself.

"Okay," I said, "so it's not a dream. WHAT THE HECK'S GOING ON!?"

"You must have landed on your head," the Toad said. "After all, you haven't opened your eyes for days and days! Everyone's been worried sick!"

"Everyone?" I asked, still trying to comprehend my situation. "Where am I anyway?"

"This is Goomba Village," the Toad said. "It's a tiny village that's just west of Toad Town. The only residents are me and a single family of Goombas."

"What?" I asked.

"The Goombas in the family are just the nicest folks you'll ever meet," the Toad continued. "They're the ones who found you unconscious in the forest and carried you here to get better."

"Really?" I asked.

_Wait a minute…_ I thought. _If I'm stuck in Paper Mario, then I should know everything inside and out!_

Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried to remember, I couldn't remember a thing from the game.

"I can't remember anything from the game," I said. "Why can't I remember anything!?"

"Huh…?" the Toad asked. "A Star with a mustache? You're saying a star told you to go to Shooting Star Summit?"

"I never said anything remotely like that!" I said.

"Nope, I saw nothing like that," the Toad said. "And I sure didn't see anyone come in or out of this house."

"I never even asked that!" I shouted. "What the heck is wrong with you!?"

"I wonder, Mario…" the Toad said. "Maybe you just had a dream?"

"Don't ignore me!" I shouted at him.

"Although maybe not…" the Toad said. "It could have been some sort of message from a Star Spirit. They live in Star Haven."

"And you told me where they live why?" I asked the Toad.

"Shooting Star Summit is the nearest place to Star Haven, so that would make sense…" the Toad said, more to himself than anything.

"Is this conversation going anywhere?" I asked. "If not, then I really have to get going. I'm kind of stuck in a game he-"

"Who knows?" the Toad interrupted. "In any case, I'm glad to see you've recovered. I know the Goombas would be happy if you paid them a visit."

"Are you even listening to me?" I asked the Toad.

"Please feel free to come here anytime you get tired," the Toad said suddenly. "A good nap will work wonders when you're feeling weak."

"Okay," I said. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Please feel free to come here anytime you get tired," the Toad repeated. "A good nap will work wonders when you're feeling weak."

"You know what?" I asked, walking towards the door. "Forget it. I'm leaving."

"Please feel free to-" The Toad said again, but by this point I was already outside, closing the door behind me.

Outside was a pleasant little village, with four Goombas, two houses (the Toad house and some other house) and two gates, one on each side of the village. One of the Goombas-the one who looked like the father-was working on the fence that I assumed lead towards another village. One of the Goombas saw me and walked over towards me. She looked like the mother to me.

"Oh, land sakes!" she said. "Mario! So nice to meet you! My! I'm so glad you woke up! I can't tell you how worried I was when you were just lying there asleep for so long."

"Uh," I said, not really knowing what to say, "thanks for your concern."

"Don't mention it!" She said.

"By the way," I said, "what's with that Toad over in that Toad house?"

"No one knows," she whispered to me. "We find it best to just ignore him."

"Good advice," I said.

Another Goomba walked up to me. This one looked like the older brother of the family. He looked about 9, 10 tops, and wore a blue cap.

"Hey Mario!" he said. "I'm Goombario. I'm your biggest fan! You don't know what this means for me to meet you! Seriously!"

"Well, I'm glad to meet you to," I said.

"You are?" he asked. He looked about ready to faint.

"Yes, I am," I said. "Please don't faint though."

"I won't if you don't want me to, sir!" Goombario said, getting into a saluting pose. He couldn't actually salute, however, since he didn't have any hands.

"Please don't call me sir," I said. "Pa- I mean, Mario will do."

"You got it, Mario!" Goombario said, walking off. Yet another Goomba walked up to me. She looked like the little sister of the family. She looked somewhere between 6-8, I can't really tell when it comes to Goombas.

"Mario, you look better," she said. "I'm so glad… I was really worried about you, because you were lying there in the forest and you didn't open your eyes at all the whole time."

"It seems everyone's worried about me," I muttered under my breath.

"What?" the female Goomba asked.

"Oh, nothing," I said. "Thanks for your concern, anyway."

I walked over to the father of the Goombas. He seemed to be fixing the fence. He was holding the hammer in his mouth, and was banging on the nails on the fence.

"Hello," I said.

"Howdy, Mario!" he said. "Feeling better?"

"Quite, thank you," I said.

"Feel free to rest in our house," he said.

"Actually," I said, "I really need to leave.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Apparently, I have to go to Shooting Star Summit."

"…Oh, Shooting Star Summit," he said. "Something important, no doubt. Well, I believe that the summit is near Toad Town."

"Thanks," I said. "Now, where is Toad Town?"

"It's just down this path," he said. "Good timing, to; I just finished fixing the gate. That earthquake the other day did a number on it."

"Earthquake?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "It's too bad you can't stay… I feel like I just met you! But duty calls, I know. Come back and visit if you can."

"Best of luck, Mario," the younger sister said to me.

"Thanks!" I said.

"Heee!!! Yee hee heee!!!" A horrid voice screeched.

"What sounds like nails scraping across a chalk board!?" I asked, covering my ears.

Suddenly, the old hag flew in on her broomstick. She flew around the village a bit before stopping above the gate.

"Bleah heh heh heh…" she said. "Ah, my instincts were right…"

"I remember you!" I said. "You're the old hag Bowser was hanging around!"

"Old hag!?" she screeched. "Who said that!?"

"Me," I said, raising my hand. She jumped when she saw me.

"Mario…" she said. "I can't believe you're on your feet after taking such a beating from King Bowser. You're a hardy one, all right. I was smart to come here to check on you."

"How did you even know where I landed?" I asked. "I fell in a completely random location. And you should probably get some skin conditioner: You look a little wrinkled."

"SILENCE, FOOL!!!" the hag screamed at me. "I am a beautiful Koopa with a beautiful name: Kammy Koopa!"

"What do you define as 'beautiful' exactly?" I asked.

"Hmmmph!!!" Kammy said. "I wish I had time to teach you a lesson, brat! But no. Mario! Hear this! It is useless for you to try to save Princess Peach. Ridiculous! Laughable! As you have seen, King Bowser is more powerful than even you can deal with this time."

"Look, is this going to take much longer?" I asked, tapping my foot. "I kind of want to leave soon."

"Here's a gift from him!" Kammy shouted, pulling out her wand. It glowed for a bit, and a giant block fell on the gate, both destroying it and blocking the way forward.

"Nyeah heh heh heh!" Kammy laughed in a horrid laugh. "Mario! You will kneel and weep when you see the wonderful changes King Bowser's made!"

"I don't know about kneeling," I said, "but your face is almost wanting to make me weep."

"Your world is ours now!" Kammy said before flying away with yet another ear-splitting laugh.

"Ummmmmm…" the father Goomba said, "I just fixed that gate… Nobody say 'gate' to me…"

I resisted the urge to be a smart-butt and say "gate".

"Kammy Koopa, that fiend!" he continued. "Did you hear what she said about the princess? It didn't sound good. I hope nothing's happened to her…"

"Oh yeah," I said. "She was kidnapped along with her castle into space. I'm sure nothing bad has happened to her yet."

"Wha… Wha… What!?" He shouted. "Bowser went and kidnapped Princess Peach!? Again!?"

"You act as if you're surprised," I said.

"Oh, unbelievable!" he continued. "And now you have to go to Shooting Star Summit and help save her, right?"

"That's about the size of it," I said.

"Ummmm…" he said. "This could be a problem."

"Dad," the sister said, "we've just gotta do something, right? Mario's gotta save the princess! Nobody else can do it!"

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Luigi might still be available tonight, and I already have a lot on my plate as it is."

"Ummmmmmm…" the father said. "Oh, here's an idea! Maybe we can break this block with Goompa's big Hammer!"

"Goompa?" I asked.

"He's a Goomba grandfather," the father explained. "Therefore, his name is Goompa."

"Wait," I said. "His parents actually named him Goompa?"

"No," the sister said. "He only got that name when he became a grandfather."

"What was his name before then, then?" I asked.

"…no one really knows," the father said. "Anyway, I think he's using the Hammer to fix the veranda. Go ask him for it, will you?"

"Sure," I said, walking to the second house. "After all, this couldn't get possibly worse."

Word of the wise: Never utter those words.

I stepped outside to the veranda…

…and found myself standing on thin air.

I looked down, said, "Aw fudge," and fell screaming.

Fortunately, a tree broke my fall. Unfortunately, it also caused severe pain as the branches scratched me and I fell down with several skin marks on me.

"Okay," I said, "Ow."

I got up and examined my surroundings. I was in some wild area near the ruins of the veranda. After taking a look around, I saw Goompa standing a few feet away. I jumped down and ran to him.

"Oh, my back…" he said to himself. He then turned around and said, "Hm? Who's that? That you, Mario? I remember a great crashing noise and then the veranda collapsed and I fell."

"Maybe next time, you shouldn't use such a huge hammer," I suggested.

"Did you fall, too?" he asked me. "Just stepped out the door into thin air, didn't you?"

"Don't remind me," I said, rubbing my now soar back.

"Well, we're both OK," Goompa said. "Problem is, we can't get home because that block is in the way."

We both walked closer to a giant block, similar to the one blocking the way to Toad Town.

"This block…" Goompa said. "This block shouldn't be here. Well, this is a problem for us."

"What about your hammer?" I asked.

"Oh, of course!" Goompa said. He looked around himself and said. "Um… Where did it go? I was using it to fix the veranda, so it's likely around here somewhere… Hm! Nowhere to be seen. I guess it must have fallen somewhere over there."

"What sense does that make?" I asked. "How can the hammer fall all the way over there when everything else fell in this general area?"

"DON'T ASK QUESTIONS YOU AREN'T PREPARED TO HANDLE THE AWNSER TO!!!" Goompa screamed.

"Fine!" I said, walking toward the direction Goompa directed. It was basically a grove with a bunch of bushes.

"Let me guess," I said, "it's in one of the bushes."

"Right!" Goompa said. "Remember, if you see a ! push the A button to look in the bush!"

"A button… do you have Alzheimer's, old man!?" I shouted.

"…maybe," Goompa said. I sighed before walking to a nearby bush. Suddenly, Goompa ran up with an A in a blue circle on his head.

"Push me!" he said.

"…what?" I asked.

"I'm the A button!" he shouted. "Push me!"

I sighed before pushing him.

"Bad luck!" he said. "Nothing in this bush!"

"Yes there is!" I shouted, pulling out the hammer. "What's wrong with you, any-"

Goompa grabbed the hammer and threw it into a nearby bush.

"We should keep looking!" he shouted, running off to another bush. I sighed.

"This is gonna be a long day," I said, following Goompa.

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**Author's Notes: Well, how was it? Remember to review!**


	3. Chapter 3: An Egg Person

**Author's Notes: Here's chapter 3! I hope you all enjoy it! Oh, and to Keybladeboy, you'll see...**

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**_**Chapter 3: An Egg person and the strangest way to get a partner in history**_

"Finally!" I said, holding up the hammer. "It took us 4 hours, but we finally got the hammer!"

"What hammer?" Goompa asked.

"The hammer we've been trying to get for the last 4 hours!" I shouted at him.

"Why did we spend so much time looking for it when I have another one right here?" Goompa asked, pulling out another hammer.

"Why didn't you mention that hours ago!?" I screamed.

"Mention what?" Goompa asked.

My eye gave an involuntary twitch.

"You know what?" I said. "Forget it. Let's just leave."

"Wait!" Goompa said. "If you press B, you can swing the hammer! Let's go hit a tree!"

"Why?" I asked as he pushed me to a tree.

"Sometimes stuff falls out!" he said excitedly.

"You mean like leaves and acorns?" I asked.

He ignored me as he put on a green B on his head.

"Push me to swing your hammer!" he said.

"Why would I need to do that?" I asked. I hit the tree with my hammer. It shook, but nothing fell out.

"Push me to swing your hammer!" Goompa said.

"Fine!" I said, pushing him. "I don't see how this will work any-"

Suddenly, a doll that looked vaguely like Princess Peach fell from the tree.

"HOW!?" I screamed.

Goompa ran to it, picked it up in his mouth, and shoved it into my hand.

"Oh!" he said, acting surprised. "Well now! I believe that's the dolly that Goombaria sad she lost!"

"How could she have lost it in a tree?" I asked.

"She'll no doubt be overjoyed if you give it back to her," Goompa said, ignoring my inquiry.

"Alright, I get what your hinting at," I said, pocketing the doll.

"So many people lose things all over the place, you know," Goompa said. "It almost makes one feel like looking around everywhere..."

"Yeah," I said, "the same people that want to stick a sign around their neck that says 'Lost and Found'."

Suddenly, Goompa stuck a sign around my neck that said, "Lost and Found".

"I had to open my big fat mouth," I said. "Where did you get this, anyway?"

"Found it," Goompa said. "Come on! If we want to get back to the village and save the waffle people on time, we have to hurry!"

I sighed as I followed Goompa. He was making jet noises as he ran back to the block. He was out of sight when I heard a "Youch!!!"

Goompa rolled past me, looking hurt.

"Whoever did that, thank you!" I called out. Suddenly, what looked like a yellow creature in an egg, broken in half so one half worked as a pair of pants and the other worked as a hat, ran up to me.

"Who are you guys!?" he shouted, pointing at me. "This is my playground, idiots!"

"What playground?" I asked.

"That one over there," the creature said, pointing to an area that had swings, a merry-go-round, a slide, and a tire swing.

"How did I miss that?" I asked, staring at it.

"Nobody sets foot in here without my permission!" the creature shouted. "Nobody!"

"Alright, I'm sorry!" I said. "I was just leaving!"

"Prepare to start crying at the feet of Master Jr. Troopa!" the creature shouted.

He then got into a fighting stance.

"I don't want to hurt you, little guy!" I said.

"Mario," Goompa said, who apparently just appeared behind me, "this is Jr. Troopa. He's the boss of the neighborhood gang. A bit of a bully, obviously."

"How did you get here?" I asked, turning to him. "And how can there be a gang in this area if the village only consists of a single family and one Toad?"

"He's more bark than bite," Goompa continued. "You can beat him easily."

"What if I don't want to fight him?" I asked. "He's just a hatchling!"

"Just boost yourself up and don't take any lip!" Goompa said, slamming into my back to force me closer to Jr. Troopa.

"What is wrong with you!?" I shouted at him.

"I'll stay right here behind you and watch your progress!" he shouted, now hiding behind a tree.

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically. "That really helps me."

"I'll murder you!" Jr. Troopa shouted as he ran at me. I simply held out my arm and held my hand to his head, keeping him at an arm's distance as he ran in place, trying to hit me.

It was pretty pathetic, truthfully.

"Alright, let's end this," I sighed. I pulled out my hammer and hit him upside the head with it, knocking him out on the spot.

"Mario, that was wonderful fighting," Goompa said now walking up to me. "You got Star Points!"

"...what?" I asked.

"You get Star Points every time you beat an enemy," Goomba continued. "Every time you save up 100 Star Points, you'll go up a level."

"This isn't some freaking RPG you know!" I said.

"Always try hard to get points!" he shouted.

"Yeah but-" I started.

"ALWAYS TRY HARD TO GET POINTS!!!" he screamed at me.

"Alright fine!" I shouted.

"Shoooooot!!!" Jr. Troopa shouted, suddenly getting up again. "I was winning, too! I'll be back, Mario!"

"How did you wake back up?" I asked him. "I knocked you out."

My question went unheard as he ran off.

"Well," I said. "That was-"

Jr. Troopa suddenly ran back.

"I mean it, I'll be back!!!" he screamed at me before running off yet again.

"Now can we leave?" I asked.

"Leave where?" Goompa asked.

"You do realize I have a hammer now," I said. "Don't tempt me, old man."

"I'm a banana!" he screamed, he now in a banana suit.

"How did you..." I started. I then shook my head and said, "On second thought, I don't want to know. Let's just go already."

I walked back to the block and smashed it to pieces with my hammer.

"Horray!" Goompa shouted. "I did it! Now I'll go back to the village and bask in glory!"

He ran off again. Not even a minute later, he ran back.

"I need you to beat a bunch of bad Goombas!" he said.

I sighed as I followed him. We reached a new area now, with quite a few ledges that led up.

"Heads up, Mario!" Goompa shouted suddenly. "I see bad Goombas ahead. They're loyal to Bowser."

"No. Really?" I said sarcastically.

"If they see you," Goompa continued, "they'll attack you without hesitation."

"I wonder why," I muttered. I normally wasn't very sarcastic, but this guy was taxing my patience.

"If you can successfully attack an enemy in the field with a Jump or Hammer," Goompa continued, "you'll get the First Strike when you enter battle."

"Why can't I just knock them out right then and there?" I asked.

"Because you have to enter battle first!" he said. "It's not fair otherwise!"

"So I'm just supposed to announce my arrival and fight them in a full out duel every single time?" I asked.

"Pretty much, yeah," Goompa said. "Striking first really helps when it comes to battling."

"You won't stop bugging me unless I do it the proper way, huh?" I asked.

"You really know me!" he said, grinning. I sighed as I continued forward.

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Half an hour later, we were back at the village.

"Finally!" Goompa said. "What took you so long?"

"Well it wouldn't had taken me so long to do it if you hadn't kept badgering me to enter a full out duel every single time we saw a freaking Goomba!" I shouted. "Plus you had to keep us waiting for 15 minutes when you tried to wake up that Spiky Goomba!"

"Details, details," Goompa said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going into the village and taking all the credit for the heroic deeds!"

He dashed toward everyone else, laughing manically. I sighed as I followed him.

"Goompa!" Goombario said. "Where've you been? I looked outside and... wow! Both you and the veranda were just plain gone!"

"Goompa, I was very, very worried about you!" Goombaria said. "Really worried!"

"Bow down before me, mortals!" Goompa shouted. "I am the almighty N64! I control everything you do! Put the lime in the coconut!"

"Should we be worried?" I whispered to Goombario as Goompa ran around Goombaria, making fighter jet noises.

"No," Goombario whispered back. "He always does this on Tuesdays."

"But it's Monday," I whispered back to him.

"Oh," Goombario said. "Then yes, we should be worried."

"Goompa!" the Goomba mother shouted. "Come here and take your medication!"

"Pancakes!" Goompa shouted, running away from her as she chased him, holding a thing of pills in her mouth.

"Huh?" Goombario said, looking at the doll I was holding. "Hey... That dolly you got... That's the one Goombaria lost! She was looking all over for it. Would you give it back to her?"

"Of course," I said, handing the doll back to her. "But I would just like to know how the heck it got up a tree."

"It's my dolly!" Goombaria said, oblivious to anything else now. "Dolly, dolly! You're back!!! Thank you so much! Heart!"

"...heart?" I asked.

"I'm so happy..." Goombaria continued. "My sweet dolly! Don't you ever get lost again!"

"Again," I said, "how did it get up a tree?"

"She must have taken an emergency landing when her rocket ship blew up," Goombaria said.

"...rocket ship?" I asked.

"Yes," Goombaria replied. "You see, I bought this rocket online, and I tied her to it, and-"

"Okay, okay," I said, shaking my head. "I get the picture."

Goombaria then used her mouth to pull out a gold diamond shaped object from her pocket, and shoved it toward me using her foot.

"Here's a present from me!" she said. "Look at the pretty glitter!"

I bent down and picked it up.

"You got a Star Piece!" a voice said. I turned around and saw Goompa standing there.

"Would you just go already!?" I shouted.

"And," Goombaria continued, "take this, too!"

She jumped as high as she could and kissed me on the cheek.

"Uh..." I said, blushing, "thanks."

"You always seem to beat up your enemies..." Goombario said. "Do you work out?"

"I suppose," I said, shrugging. "Honestly though, it comes naturally."

That part was true: With Mario's body, fighting was as easy and natural as breathing or blinking to me.

"I study self-defense by reading books by the masters and listening to Dad and Goompa," Goombario said.

"Word of advice," I said, "don't listen to Goompa."

"And," Goombario continued, "I also exercise every day so I can be strong like you! It's starting to show to! I'm getting big muscles!"

"How can you tell?" I asked, examining him. "You don't have any arms or legs."

"Yeah," Goombaria interjected, "Goombario's head is hard as a rock now! Tee hee! When he does his Headbonk move, it really, really hurts!"

"Headbonk?" I asked. "As in attacking with your skull? Wouldn't you need a helmet to prevent concussions using that move?"

"Oh, be quiet, Goombaria!" Goombario said bashfully. "You're embarrassing me! Of course, it IS true..."

"Arf arf!" Goompa shouted, dropping a round badge at my foot.

"What's this?" I asked, picking it up.

"This is called a... _Badge_," Goombario said, a rainbow appearing above his head.

"I know it's a badge," I said, "but what does it-"

"No no no!" Goompa said. "Not badge. _Badge_."

"Alright," I said. "What does a _Badge_-" I waved my hands for emphasis. "-do?"

"If you wear this," Goompa said, "you'll be able to do a Power Jump, which means you'll be able to do a lot more damage with your Jump attack."

"How can a simple badge-sorry, _Badge_-do that? This doesn't even look like anything more than a boy scout's badge... hey, it is a boy scout's badge!"

"No it isn't!" Goompa shouted.

"Yes it is!" I said. "It even says here at the bottom: Troup 5, Goompa Scouts of the Mushroom Kingdom!"

"Well," Goompa said, "just because it says that doesn't mean-"

"And look at this!" I said. "It has a picture of a campfire on it! That doesn't even make the slightest of sense!"

"Just wear it and you can do a power jump!" Goompa shouted.

"Look," I said, "for the last time, it won't do any-"

Goompa ran up to me, slammed the badge to my chest, and nailed it on me using a nail gun.

"GOOD FREAKING GOD, MAN!!!" I shouted, gripping my chest. "YOU'VE DAMAGED MY HEART!!!"

"Ah, you'll get over it," Goompa said, walking away. "I wonder what's on TV..."

**

* * *

**

One emergency visit from an ambulance later, I was fingering the bandages wrapped around my chest.

"Thanks a lot, Goompa!" I shouted.

"You're welcome!" he said. "By the by, aren't you going to save Princess Zelda from Gannon again?"

"It's princess _Peach _from _Bowser_," I said.

"Oh yeah!" Goombario said. "Mario can beat Bowser with one hand tied behind his back!"

"Hush, now, Goombario," Goompa said. "Mario, please take this hammer."

"...I already have it," I said. "And if you think your taking it back, you can forget it. You're lucky I'm not suing you!"

"It should serve you well," Goompa continued, ignoring me. "If I were just a bit younger, I'd be... A SUPERHERO!"

He ran back into the house. In less than a minute, he was standing on the roof.

"To infinity... AND BEYOND!" he shouted, jumping off the roof.

"You can't fly!" Goombario, Goombaria, and I shouted at once. Goompa fell to the ground with a THUMP!

"Hello Mr. Ground!" he said, his voice muffled as his face was on the ground.

"Has he taken his medication yet?" I asked.

"Two doses, actually," Goombario replied.

"Better give him more," I said. "Like, 5 more."

"Anyway," Goombario said, "where were we?"

"I was about to go to save Princess Peach from Bowser," I said.

"Oh, right!" Goombario said. "Adventure... you're so lucky! Princess-rescuing is so cool! I really want to be an adventurer, too, someday!"

"Me too!!!" Goombaria said.

"Oh! Oh!" Goompa said, jumping up and down. "Me! Me! I gots an idea!"

"...Goompa?" I asked, humoring him.

"Goombario," Goompa said, "we're disowning you! Go and get a life, you lazy bum!"

He shoved Goombaria into the house and locked the door behind him.

Both Goombario and I stood there with our jaws hanging.

"Did he just..." I started.

"Yes," Goombario said. "He did. Great. Now I have no family and no home."

I sighed.

"Well kid," I said, "it looks like your coming with me."

"Really?" Goombario said, perking up. "All right! At least this won't be a total loss!"

"Good," I said. "Now that that's settled, let's get going."

"Oh, wait," Goombario said. "Maybe we should rest at the Toad house before we-"

"No. Freaking. Way." I said. "I'd rather be mauled than go see that freak again."

I smashed the block with my hammer and left the village. Goombario just shrugged and followed me.

**

* * *

**

**Author's Notes: Does that answer your question, Keybladeboy? I know that's not how Goompa was in the game, but I had an idea and I rolled with it. The next chapter should be out soon!**


	4. Chapter 4: MultiColored Goombas

**Author's Notes: Chapter 4's on the air! Sit back, take off your socks, and enjoy the ride!**

* * *

_**Chapter 4: Multi-Colored Goombas, a rocket castle, and an appropriately named location**_

"Good gravy!" I said, bashing yet another Goomba with my hammer. "How many of these freaking things are there?"

"Enough to fill the path between here and Toad Town," Goombario said as he bashed into a Paragoomba.

We had been going through the path for about half an hour now (We were slowed down when Goompa tried to follow us and we had to shake him off), beating up Goombas on our way. Eventually, the two of us fought our way to an area with a high up cliff and a spring looking object at its base.

"This looks simple enough," I said, taking a step forward.

"Hey hey!" a voice said suddenly. "Hold it right there! You! Yeah you, suspicious guy! Don't move!"

Two Goombas, one Red and one Blue, ran up to the edge of the cliff.

"Aha, you're Mario!" the Red Goomba said. "I knew it. You can't go past here, Mr. Big Shot. It's a direct order from the Goomba King. That's right! I'm sorry, but the only way by is through the Goomba Bros. That's me, Red Goomba, and my Brother, Blue Goomba."

"I didn't know Goombas came in different colors or had monarchies," I said. "And aren't the traditional Bros. colors Red and _Green_?"

"You see?" Blue Goomba said, turning to Red Goomba. "I told you Green Goomba would have been better for the job!"

"He's taking a vacation and you know it!" the Red Goomba said back.

"Uh..." I said. "Weren't we going to fight?"

"Huh?" Red Goomba asked, turning back to me. "Oh, right. Let's get him, Blue Goomba!"

"Oh yeah!" Blue Goomba said. "Let's do it, my red brother!"

They both jumped down at us. Goombario and I managed to roll out of the way in time.

"Goombario!" I said, pulling out my hammer. "Info!"

"The Blue's the weakest!" Goombario said. "Let's get him first!"

"On it!" I said, dashing forward. I dashed forward and slammed my hammer into the Blue Goomba.

"Mario!" Blue Goomba said after getting back his sense of balance. "How'd you like some of this?"

He jumped at me, damaging me. Red Goomba followed with another attack. I wasn't prepared for this, and I was slammed into a tree.

"Yo gonna pay for that!" I said, getting up and jumping on Blue Goomba.

After Blue Goomba regained himself, both he and his brother dashed at me again. This time, I was prepared and back flipped over them.

Yeah, you read that right. I _back flipped_ over them. Mario's more athletic that you would think.

Red Goomba came out okay, but Blue Goomba was injured enough as it was, and the force of his brother's dash caused him to slam into a tree. One headbonk from Goombario, and he was finished.

"Blue, Blue Goomba!!!!!" Red Goomba screamed, a red tear coming out from his eye.

"Even your tears are red?" I asked. "How's that even possible?"

"Gaaah!" Red Goomba shouted. "My little brother! You'll pay for that, Mario!"

He dashed forward to me. I managed to jump over him and on him, causing damage. Goombario dashed in for an extra attack. Red Goomba screamed as he got up and dashed at me.

"I have an idea," I said. "Goombario, get behind me."

He did so, and I pulled out a Fire Flower that I collected earlier.

"This better work!" I said. I threw it on the ground. It suddenly enlarged and shot fire balls at Red Goomba, defeating him.

"Yahoo!" I shouted, turning to Goombario. "High-five!"

I held out my hand, but slowly drew it away as I realized he had no hands to high-five me back with.

"Right," I said. "Sorry."

"No prob," Goombario replied.

"Geeaaaah!!!" Red Goomba shouted as he and Blue Goomba got up, crying. "I... I'll let you go for now!"

They both jumped on the spring and ran off.

"Well," I said. "That was easier than I expected."

"Are you kidding?" Goombario asked. "You're Mario for Pete's sakes! Everything should be easy for you!"

"Right," I said. "Look, we better continue forward. Those Goombas are probably crying to their king even as we speak."

Goompa and I jumped on the spring and onto the ledge, continuing forward. It didn't take us long at all to reach a large castle with a red door.

"Hey, look, Mario!" Goombario said. "See that building over there?"

"It would be kind of hard to miss it," I said.

"I'm pretty sure there used to be a bridge on the other side," Goombario said. "I wonder what happened to it."

"Maybe whoever built this castle tore down the bride in order to build it," I said. "Which would be kind of stupid if you ask me. After all, how would they get back to the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom?"

Everything shook for a second.

"What the-" I started. Then, everything shook again. The shaking stopped, then started, then stopped. I noticed it had a rhythm, like footsteps. Suddenly, Blue and Red Goomba were on top of the castle, followed soon by a huge Goomba with crazy looking eyes, a king's crown, a red and white striped shirt, and odd white tuffs on his cheeks .

"So, Mario, it's true!" the King Goomba said. "You've made it this far. I respect you for that. Unfortunately, this is as far as you'll ever get. Because I, the great and powerful King Goomba, will see to it that you advance no farther!"

"You hear that, Mario!" Red Goomba taunted. "No farther! Not one step! Are you scared, little man?"

Just to be a smart butt, I took one step forward.

"Wow..." Goombario said. "That King Goomba is... really huge!"

"Ah, we can take him!" I said. "You know what they say: The bigger they are, the harder they fall!"

"You're right!" Goombario said. "I'm sure he's no match for you, Mario! Let's get him!"

"Ready to meet my wrath, Mario?" the Goomba King asked. "You'd better be!!!"

The three Goombas jumped down.

"Beat him up, King Goomba!!!" Red Goomba said.

"We've got your back!" Blue Goomba threw in.

"Leave him to me!" King Goomba said.

"Hey Mario!" Goombario said. "I think maybe we ought to take out the Goomba Bros. first, don't you think? They must be pretty weak since we just finished beating them up back there."

"Right," I said, scanning the area. My eyes fell upon a tree nearby. I grinned.

"Oh no!" I shouted. "Whatever will we do? All is lost if they only take a few steps to the left!"

The three grinned as they moved in a direction.

"No, my left," I said.

"Oh," they said, moving back in that direction.

"That's good," I said. "Oh woe! Whatever you do, please don't hit that tree in that exact spot!"

I pointed at a point on the tree.

"Hah!" King Goomba said as he slammed into that spot. "Do you have any idea how stupid you are?"

"Not as stupid as you!" I said, grinning triumphantly.

"What do you..." King Goomba started. Suddenly, nuts from the tree fell on him and the two other Goombas. The force of it knocked out the Red and Blue Goomba instantly, but King Goomba was only damaged.

He screamed as he ran at us. I jumped on him, both dodging his attack and hurting him, while Goombario headboncked his feet. The two attacks combined caused him to fall.

"Now's our chance!" I said, holding out my hammer. I screamed as I jumped up and hit him with the hammer hard, defeating him.

"Alright!" I said, pumping my fist into the air. "Celebratory Moon Walk!"

"Wh... wh... what!?" King Goomba screamed as I moon walked. "How could I lose?"

The Goombas all ran into the castle.

"Yeah!" Goombario said. "I knew we could do it! Coooool!!! Victory!!!"

"So..." I said, "how do we get across?"

"I dunno," Goombario said. "Hey, look!"

He indicated a bright red button on the side of the castle. I walked up to it and read a message written above it.

"Warning," I read, "under no circumstances are you to push this button."

I blinked before saying: "Well, if no one's supposed to push it, why is it even here?"

"Should we push it?" Goombario asked.

"Of course we are!" I said, pushing the button. "Adventuring rule #1, my good friend: If a button says not to push, push it."

Suddenly, King Goomba jumped up to the top of the castle.

"Uh... Mario!" he said. "Good fight and all that! I must warn you, however... If you happen to see a strange button on the castle, you should definitely not press it. It's dangerous. Understood?"

"I just pressed it," I said, taking a few steps back. "Bad luck, ol' bean."

".....you what?" King Goomba asked. "YOU ALREADY PRESSED IT!?"

Suddenly, the entire castle began to shake. King Goomba ran back into the castle.

"3... 2... 1... liftoff," a voice said. Suddenly, the base of the castle erupted into flames, and the entire thing launched into the sky. Goombario and I watched it until we couldn't see it anymore.

"Huh," was all I could think of saying. Suddenly, a bridge extended from the ground where the castle once was.

"Look!" Goombario said. "The bridge!!! Now we can cross it and continue on our journey. All right!"

"Good," I said, crossing the bridge. "Finally. Now we're getting somewhere on our que-"

"HEY!" a voice sounded. Goombario and I turned around to see Goompa crossing the bridge.

"Oh no," I said. "Stop following us!"

"But I have to take all the credit for the stuff you do!" Goompa shouted. He was halfway across the bridge now, whereas Goombario and I were on the other side now.

I took one step forward, held the hammer above my head, and shouted:

"YOU! SHALL NOT! PASS!!!"

At "Pass" I slammed the hammer on the bridge. Either that hammer was super strong or that bridge was super weak, because the next thing I knew, the entire bridge crumbled and fell into the ravine, taking Goompa with it.

"Oh no," Goombario said, looking down.

"I'm okay!" Goompa's voice said from the bottom.

"Come on," I said, pushing Goombario with me. "Let's get out of here before he has a chance to climb out and follow us again!"

**

* * *

**

After a little more walking, we finally reached Toad Town.

"Finally!" I said, exasperated. "We're here!"

Suddenly, a nearby Toad ran up to me.

"Mario!" he said. "I'm so glad you're OK! The town is in an uproar! The princess kidnapped! The very castle uprooted! It's bedlam! I really don't know what we can do about all this... Please, Mario! Save Her Highness!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" I said. "Slow down! You're going a mile a minute!"

"Right," the Toad said. "Sorry. I tend to talk a lot when I get nervous."

"Right," I said. "By the by, do you know where Shooting Star Summit is?"

"Of course I do!" the Toad said. "Everyone knows where it is! Just head to the central area of Toad Town, go north until you reach Peach's Castle... or, at least where Peach's Castle used to be, and head East. From there, it's straight forward."

"Thanks," I said, walking away. "Have a good day. Come on, Goombario."

The two of us followed the Toad's directions. When we reached where Peach's Castle used to be, I stopped and gasped.

"Wow," I said. "This is... wicked."

All that was there was a crater and a few bricks from the castle. That was it.

"Bowser, that fiend!" Goombario said. "Who else could do something so dastardly?"

"Gannondorf, Dr. Eggman, Kiefka," I said, listing names. "Should I go on?"

"Who are all those people?" Goombario asked as we walked away from the crater that used to be Peach's Castle.

"I'll explain it to you later," I said. "By the way, why is this place called Shooting Star Summit anyway?"

"Well," Goombario said, "you see, when two tectonic plates collide with each other, over time it bends upward and-"

"No no," I said, shaking my head. "I get the summit part, but what about the shooting stars?"

"Oh, that," Goombario said with a shrug (or a Goomba's equivalent of a shrug, since they don't have arms or anything). "That's simple. You see, meteorites fall here so often, we call it Shooting Star Summit."

"WHAT!?" I screamed. "Isn't that kind of deadly!?"

"Only if you get hit," Goombario said. "By the way, you might want to take a few steps to your left."

I took his advice and dived to the left. Just then, a flaming meteorite crashed in the exact spot I was just standing.

"Oh my lord!" I said, getting up. "This place is a death trap!"

"Oh, that's just an exaggeration," Goombario said. "Most people find this place quite romantic!"

"Yeah," I said, diving out of the way of another meteorite, "the same people who cut themselves daily and listen to songs about suicide! Let's just go to the top of this place and get whatever we need to do over with!"

The two of us walked up the path to the top of the mountain. (Well, technically Goombario was the only one walking. I was sprinting and diving out of the way of a meteorite every 15 seconds.) Eventually, we reached the peak. It was rounded and had a round stone statue on it, sort of like an alter. In the center was a transparent creature that resembled a star with a large mustache.

"Are you the one who sent for me?" I asked him.

"Yes, I am," he replied. "Welcome Mario... We've been waiting for you."

Suddenly, 6 other stars phased into being. They were all transparent, just like the one with the mustache.

"Wow..." Goombario said, stupefied.

"We're the 7 Star Spirits," the Star with the mustache continued. "Our job is to grant the wishes of good people from our home in Star Haven, a place high beyond the sky. We're going to tell something incredibly important. Please listen carefully. The other day, Bowser and his followers invaded our peaceful Star Haven. They stole our prized treasure, the Star Rod, which we've cared for since the beginning of time."

"The Star Rod..." another star, this one female with a pink bow in her hair, "...is powerful beyond belief. It can grant any wish. For as long as we can remember, Bowser has been making wishes like, for instance... 'I'd like to trounce Mario' or 'I want princess peach to like me'. Of course, Stars ignore such selfish wishes. As a result, his wishes were never granted."

"Bowser..." a third star said. His one had glasses and a thin mustache. Basically, he looked like a scholar. "...that fiend... When he found out that we were ignoring his wishes, he came and stole the Star Rod so he could grant his own wishes. He seems content right now, mainly because he defeated you and captured the princess. Soon enough, though, I fear he will wish for more... and then terrible things will happen."

"It is the responsibility of the 7 Star Spirits to keep the Star Rod safe and use it properly," another star said. This one was blue and had a sailing cap on. He also had an aura of mischief. "We must get the Star Rod back from Bowser and return it to its rightful place! In order to do this, Mario, we need your help!"

"Sadly..." another star said. This one was pink and was, in star terms, hot. Usually, I don't use this term, but this star earned it. "...right now you are not strong enough to challenge Bowser... he has made himself all-powerful by making wishes with the Star Rod. He is terrible to behold!"

"Once we 7 Star Spirits are reunited in Star Haven," another star said, this one with a bow tie and a book, "we can give you the power to fight Bowser even with his newfound strength. With our help, you can prevail!"

"Mario..." another star said, this one simply with a father's mustache, "we are..."

They all blinked out of existence for a minute, then returned. "Alas... We've nearly exhausted our power to talk to you. Although it looks like we're there beside you, it is only an illusion. We're using all of our strength to communicate with you over a great distance. But even now, our strength is fading... We've been caught and are being held by Bowser's followers in different places throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. Please, Mario, first of all, you must rescue us!"

"In order to take the Star Rod back from Bowser..." the star with the big mustache continued, "and save Princess Peach... we need your help..."

They all faded for a second, then returned.

"Please, Mario..." the star said, "you are our last hope... and we will..."

They all faded.

"Mario..." Goombario said, "It looks like things are a lot more serious than I thought..."

"I'll say," I said, getting up. (I sat down at the beginning to listen to them.)

"Do you think the princess is going to be all right?" Goombario asked. "I'm really worried about her."

"Don't worry," I said. "It's rated E, so Bowser won't do anything to her in any sense of the word."

"...what?" Goombario asked.

"Nothing," I said. "Ignore that last part."

"Alright," Goombario said. "I'm just a bit worried is all."

"It's only natural," I said. "I suppose if we're going on an adventure, we might as well get started, right?"

"That's the Mario attitude!" Goombario said, dashing forward. I grinned as I followed behind him.

_What will I do?_ I thought to myself. _I suppose my best bet is to play along with the story and see what happens. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll find a way back home during it. Yeah, that's it! Maybe if I beat the game and save the world, I'll head back home!_

With that thought in mind, I pushed forward, following Goombario. I didn't know it then, but we were both about to embark on a bigger adventure than either of us could possibly imagine.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Well? How was it? Remember to review please! This story's only started, and it's not about to stop soon! So just enjoy the ride, possibly order some food, and remember to tip your waitress!**


	5. Chapter 5: Action Commands

**Author's Notes: It's Chapter 5 time! Read, review, and enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

_**Chapter 5: Action Commands and weird looking Toads**_

"I'm glad we're almost off this god-forsaken mountain!" I said, diving out of the way of another meteorite.

"Oh come on!" Goombario said, simply walking. "It's not that bad! I haven't been hit once!"

"How do you do that, anyway?" I asked, getting up and facing him. "I have to dive out of the way for every single meteorite, but you manage to just stroll along and-"

_**WHAM!!!**_

What looked like a tiny star slammed into my head and bounced off.

"Oh, sorry, sorry, so sorry!" the star said. "I'm in a huge hurry!"

"It's fine," I said, getting up and rubbing my head. "You only gave me a slight concussion."

The star took a closer look at me, then jumped for joy in the air. (Don't ask me how he did it, not even I know.)

"Oh..." the star said. "it's...!? You're Mario, aren't you!?"

"The one and only," I said.

"Thank the Stars I found you!" the star continued.

"Wait..." I said. "Thank the Stars? Wouldn't that be like thanking yourself?"

The star didn't hear me, however, as he was to busy flying around in the air with a joyful expression on his face.

"How do you do?" the star finally asked when he calmed down. "I'm Twink. Princess Peach asked me to bring something to you."

Twink then pulled out something (how did he carry it anyway? He didn't have any pockets) that looked like a necklace with a star.

"Here, this is it!" Twink said. "Take it!"

He handed it to me.

"What is it?" I asked, holding it up in front of me and looking at it.

"That's a Lucky Star, Mario!" Goombario said. "They're very rare!"

"He's right," Twink said. "Now that it's yours, you can attack with twice as much power as you used to!"

"May I try it out?" I asked, putting the necklace on.

"Of course!" Twink said. "Uh... you there, behind Mario! Please face Mario in battle!"

"The name's Goombario," Goombario said. "Sure I'll help!"

Goombario and I faced each other.

"Now then-" Twink started, but was interrupted by the sound of running.

"Oh please no," I said. Unfortunately, it was just as I feared: Goompa came running up.

"Not so fast!" he said. "If you want to attack with twice the power, you have to use Action Commands!"

"...what?" I asked.

"Action Commands!" he said. "First, jump on what's-his-face over there."

"His name's Goombario," I said. "He's your grandson."

I wanted to see the kind of power this necklace gave me anyway, so I jumped at Goombario. Unfortunately, just before I landed on Goombario, Goompa slammed into me head first with a blue A on his head.

"OW!" I shouted. "What was that for!?"

"You didn't do the Action Command correctly!" Goompa complained. "You have to hit A right before you jump on an enemy or else you won't do as much damage!"

"I didn't do any damage at all, you old fart!" I screamed.

"That's cause you didn't do the Action Command correctly!" Goompa said smugly.

It took both Goombario and Twink to hold me back.

"Now let's try a hammer!" Goompa said. I took a few deep breaths before walking up to Goombario and holding up my hammer. Unfortunately, I was caught off guard as a giant joy stick was slammed into my face, Goompa wearing it.

"You're supposed to hold it back until you hear a ding!" Goompa said. "You're the worst user of Action Commands ever!"

"ACTION COMMAND THIS!!!" I screamed, hitting Goompa with the hammer. The force of it caused him to launch into the sky and disappear with a tiny flash and a ding, just like when people are blasted into the sky in an anime.

"There!" I said, turning around. At the looks from Twink and Goombario, I said: "He survived a fall down a ravine! He'll survive a hammer blast into the sky!"

"Well," Goombario said, "at least now you'll be much tougher in battle."

"Here you are!" a voice shrieked. A Koopa wearing a blue cloak and riding a broom flew down.

"What!?" Twink shouted. "It can't be... Were you following me!?"

"What a foolish Star Kid!!!" the Koopa said. "I knew that if I followed you, I'd fine Mario! If I defeat Mario right now, I'll be famous! I'll tell Kammy Koopa! She'll shower me with praise! She'll give me a raise! Here I come!!!"

The Koopa dived at us, and we all dived out of the way.

"Goombario!" I said as Twink hid behind me. "Info!"

"That's a Magikoopa!" Goombario said. "They use magical rods! Magic attacks are no joke, Mario! You better take him seriously!"

"On it!" I said. I jumped at the Magikoopa. The force of my jump caused him to fall off his broom.

"Why you little..." the Magikoopa said. "Take this!"

He launched a magic blast from his wand. We both rolled out of the way. Goombario jumped on the Magikoopa, and I finished him off with a hit from my hammer. He couldn't take it and was knocked out instantly.

"All right!" I said, pumping my fist into the air.

"Well done, Mario!" Twink said. "You're as strong as they say. I know that you'll be able to defeat Bowser!"

"Thanks for the boost in confidence, kid!" I said. "And tell Peach I said thanks."

"That I will do!" Twink said. "I'm not strong enough to really help her, but at least I can tell her you're OK. Well Mario... see you later!"

"Bye!" I said as Twink flew off. I turned to leave, but Twink flew back.

"Oh dear!" he said. "I almost forgot to tell you the message from Princess Peach. 'I'm all right, so don't worry about me...' That's exactly what she said. I get the feeling, though... that she's very lonely."

"I'll say," I said. "With only Bowser as company, it must get lonely up there. But, hey, you'll be able to keep her company!"

"You're right!" Twink said. "And I'll do my best to help the both of you! But please be brave! You must save Princess Peach!"

Twink then flew off.

"There he goes..." Goombario said. "back to Bowser's Castle. What a brave little guy... OK, Mario, let's get down to business!"

"Alright," I said. "Now, let's get out of here before something as deadly as the asteroids or as annoying as Goompa come running up to us."

Together, we ran back to Toad Town. When we got there, however, we were stopped by a Toad.

"Oh... Mario!" he said. "Merlin was looking for you. He lives in that house with the spinning roof. He asked me to tell you to go meet him at his house. I was just about to go look for you, but here you are! It's rare for Merlin to call somebody over to his house... He's a bit eccentric. Even when he has visitors, it's rare for him to come out of the house at all."

"Merlin?" I asked. "As in the famous wizard from legend? Now THIS I have to see."

I walked over to the house with the spinning roof, Goombario following me. I knocked on the door.

"Anyone in?" I asked.

"Merlin is out!!!" a voice came from in the house. With a raised eyebrow, I knocked again.

"Why do you keep on knocking?" the voice asked. "I'm telling you he's out!!!"

The door slammed open on my face, causing me to fall to the ground.

"What the...?" Merlin asked. "Why is someone sleeping in front of my house? Wait a minute... That face seems verrry familiar to me..."

I got up and rubbed my scalp.

"That makes three concussions today..." I said to myself.

"Oh!" Merlin said. "Maybe... No... Yes! It must be! You're Pa-er, Mario! Yes, Mario!"

"Did you almost call me Pax?" I asked, interested.

"N-no," Merlin said, avoiding eye contact with me. "Er... I've been waiting for you! You should've come earlier! Well, you're here now. Come in."

Goombario and I followed Merlin into his house.

"Where to begin...?" Merlin said. "My name... is Merlin."

He laughed to himself.

"Yeah, that's right!" he said. "I'm Merlin! Not Nozan, but Merlin! I'm the leader of the Dreamers!"

"...what?" I asked. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Oh!" Merlin said. "Sorry... I kind of got carried away there. Anyway, I am a wizard. When I was reading the stars the other day, an oracle came to me. What I discovered is very important, and it concerns you. But, before I tell you about it, there are other things of which I must speak. It is a very long story, but I'll try to shorten it. Where should I start...? It was in the old days. One of my ancestors was up on Shooting Star Summit and as usual..... but one day it happened... suddenly... a great... appeared and I... standing face to face... Then, the faraway... the pious... was... raised me up... was amazing... I was still so young then... I believed in... But... our hearts were... and... then... so..."

I didn't really know everything he was saying, and the next thing I knew, I was woken up by Merlin shaking me.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Were you listening to me?"

"Huh?" I asked. "Uh... yeah, as much as I could. How about you, Goombario?"

Unfortunately, he was asleep as well.

"Oh..." Merlin said, letting go of me. "all right... So, anyway, that is why I am able to help you. And that is not just some elaborate cover story for me being a Dreamer to look after you and test your skills as a Dream Keeper!"

I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"...okay," I said. "Moving on..."

"Right..." Merlin said. "Anyway, If you get lost during your adventure, you can come to me. I can predict the path you should take for a small price."

"Small price?" I asked.

"Well," Merlin said, "no point in doing this if I can't make a small profit, right? Anyway, right now, your main goal must be to save Princess Peach as quickly as is humanly possible, but... according to my second sight, your path must first take you to the great fortress of the Koopa Bros. To reach the Koopa Bros. Fortress, head east on the road in front of the Toad House."

"Alright," I said as Goombario woke up and walked out of the house. "Thanks for your time."

Before I left, however, I turned around and said: "Who are you really? And how do you know who I really am?"

"Um..." Merlin said, "...you'll know soon enough?"

I stared at him for a minute, then shook my head and said, "As soon as I'm done with this adventure, I am having a long talk with you."

With that, I left and closed the door behind me.

"So," I said to Goombario, "looks like we're heading east, huh?"

"Yup," Goombario said as we began to walk. "It shouldn't be that far of a walk to get there any- hey, who's that?"

Four oddly colored Toads were blocking the way east.

"Hello there," I said. "Look, we need to head that way."

"You don't wanna go out there," a Toad that had a sickly red coloring said. "It's way too dangerous."

"I know," I said, "but I have-"

"Going to Koopa Bros. Fortress would be a huge mistake," a Toad that had a sickly black coloring said.

"Wait a minute..." I said, "how did you know I was going to the Koopa Bros. For-"

"Definitely," a Toad that had a sickly yellow coloring said. "Definitely don't go."

"Are you going to let me finish one sen-" I started.

"Most of all, though," a Toad that had a sickly green coloring said, "you shouldn't go ask old man Merlin for help. That would be really bad news for us... I mean, for you! Don't even think about it!"

"...right," I said. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go into that house with the spinning roof and NOT tell Merlin about you."

"Right," the red Toad said. "You do that."

Goombario and I walked away from them and entered Merlin's house again.

"Zuh?" Merlin said. "You're back already?"

"Yeah," I said. "You see, a group of strange Toads are blocking the path to the east."

"Really?" Merlin asked. "That shouldn't be... That's ridiculous! Such a thing has never been heard of! Never!"

"What about that group of hippy Toads that blocked the way south just last week?" Goombario asked.

"Quiet, you!" Merlin said. "Anyway, I'll get to the bottom of this. Follow me over there. I'll see what's going on."

The three of us walked out and reached the strange Toads.

"Are these the strange Toads you were talking about?" Merlin asked me.

"No," I said, "I'm talking about the other group of strange Toads blocking the only path east. Of course these are the ones I was talking about!"

"No need to get sarcastic..." Merlin said.

"I told you that you can't pass!" the red Toad said.

"Take off!" The black Toad said.

"Hmmmm!" Merlin said. "You aren't Toads, are you!?"

"...Um..." the yellow Toad said nervously, "...we don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah," the green Toad said, "what gives? Ask anyone! We're just cute, ordinary Toads hanging out."

"I don't think you really know what 'cute' means," I said. "or 'ordinary'. Or 'hanging out'."

"Quiet, you!" all the Toads shouted at once.

"Reveal your true selves!" Merlin said. He built up a blast of magic power and shot it at the Toads. Instantly, their skin exploded, and all that was left were four Koopas.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!" they all shouted at once.

"Hmph!" Merlin said. "Just as I thought. You're the Koopa Bros.!!!"

"How..." the red Koopa said, "...How'd you guess it was us? We were perfectly disguised!!!"

"Are you sure you know what 'perfectly' means?" I asked. They all gave me a venomous glare.

"Shucks!" the red Koopa continued, turning to the others. "Black! Yellow! Green! We retreat!!! ...for now..."

They all dashed off eastward.

"Mario," Merlin said, "those imposters were none other than the Koopa Bros."

"I kind of gathered that," I said.

"You must pursue them to their hideout, the Koopa Bros. Fortress."

"Alright," I said. "Let's go, Goombario."

We turned to leave, but were stopped once again by Merlin.

"Oh, Mario," he said, "there's one part of your fortune I haven't revealed. To get to the Koopa Bros. Fortress, you'll need help from a blue-shelled Koopa. This is a strange portent. In Koopa Village, you might find something that will clear it up. I must return home now."

"Alright," I said. I walked off toward east.

The following part I didn't know at the time, but I was told about it later.

"I forgot to tell him something," Merlin said to Goombario. "Beware of a Pink Bob-omb. It will cause Mario nothing but grief down the road."

"What do you-" Goombario started.

"Come on, Goombario!" I called. "We have to find that blue-shelled Koopa and continue on!"

Goombario turned to me to hear this, but when he turned back, Merlin was gone. He gave a Goomba's equivalent of a shrug and continued on.

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**Author's Note: Well? How was it? Please remember to review like always!**


	6. Chapter 6: Fuzzies

**Author's Notes: Woot! Chapter 6! Let's get this thing rolling!**

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**Chapter 6: Fuzzies, a blue shelled Koopa, and a plot twist**

I jumped on a Koopa and kicked it at two Spiky Goombas, knocking all three out at once.

"I've got 38!" I called out to Goombario.

Goombario, in turn, headboncked a Paragoomba, causing it to crash into a Goomba, knocking them both out at once.

"39!" he called back. I slammed my hammer into a nearby Goomba.

"39," I said. "I think that's all of them. Looks like we're tied."

"Yeah," Goombario said. "Hey, look! A sign!"

Goombario ran up to it and read it, me following close behind.

"Koopa Village's just south of here!" he said.

"Great!" I said, walking south. "Now all we have to do is find that blue shelled Koopa."

The two of us walked south. Goombario suddenly remembered something and ran up to me.

"Oh, by the way," Goombario said, "I forgot to tell you something!"

"Yeah?" I asked, turning my head to look at him.

"Well," Goombario said, "you see... Merlin told me that you should be careful about a-"

He was interrupted as a Koopa ran up to us.

"Can it be...?" the Koopa asked. "Are you Mario? Welcome to Koopa Village! I wish we could really welcome you, but we're in big trouble."

"How big?" I asked.

"Can't you see what kind of madness is going on?" the Koopa asked. "This village is in an uproar because of the Fuzzies."

"Fuzzies?" I asked. "What the heck are those?"

"They look like small, black, fuzzy balls with crazy eyes and huge mouths," the Koopa explained. "Mean guys. They're really naughty."

Suddenly, a fuzzy jumped down and stole the shell right off the Koopa.

"Oh, no!" the Koopa screamed, covering up as much as he could of himself. "Stupid Fuzzy! Get back here with my shell!"

"Talk about perfect timing," I muttered under my breath.

The Fuzzy tried to run, but I managed to out maneuver it and hit it with my hammer, making it drop the shell and run. The Koopa ran up to his shell and pulled it on.

"Oh, thank you, Mario!" he said. "I owe you one. I just can't walk around without my shell on. Talk about embarrassing! Mario, be sure to keep your shell safe from the Fuzzies, all right?"

"...I don't have a shell," I said.

"Oh," the Koopa said. "Well, watch your overalls."

"Got it," I said. "Come on, Goombario. We have some Fuzzies to squish!"

"Okay," Goombario said, "that sounded wrong."

"I know," I said, "I just couldn't think of anything cooler. Let's just go."

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After a little while, we both cleared the village of the Fuzzies.

"There," I said. "That should take care of them!"

"Hey," Goombario said, "check out that house over there!"

He directed my attention to a house that appeared to be shaking violently. Perplexed, I walked up and knocked on the door.

"I'm kind of busy in here!" A voice sounded. A shell-less Koopa came walking out of the house. This one wore blue shoes and a red bandana.

"What!?" he shouted at me. "Wait... Could it be...!? Aren't you Mario!?"

"Yup," I said.

"Alright!" the Koopa said. "My name's Kooper! Oh, I'm so psyched to meet you!"

"Welcome to the club," Goombario said.

"What seems to be the problem, anyway?" I asked.

"Well," Kooper said, "this wild Fuzzy took my shell, which, next to my life, is the most important thing I have. The problem is, the Fuzzies are too fast for me to catch alone."

"Let me guess," I said. "You want us to help you?"

"Would you?" Kooper asked. "That would be great! I'll guard the door while you bash the Fuzzy!"

"Alright," I said with a shrug. "Come on, Goombario."

Goombario and I walked into the house, Kooper closing the door behind us and standing guard. In front of us was a Fuzzy holding a blue shell.

"It's the shell!" I said.

"That must mean that Koopa out there was the person Merlin told us to find!" Goombario replied.

"Meeeooooooork!" the Fuzzy shrieked. I jumped at it, but it was too fast and dashed out the back door.

"This Koopa has a back door to?" I asked. "Why didn't he just stand guard here while we came in from the front door?"

"I think that back path ends," Goombario said. "Maybe we can corner it!"

"It's our only shot," I said, getting up. "Let's go, dude!"

Together, we ran out the back door and chased after the Fuzzy. As we chased it, a few Fuzzies fell down and chased after us.

"Oh come on!" I shouted.

Fortunately, both the two of us and the Fuzzy with the blue shell were much faster than the other Fuzzies and managed to outrun them (to this day I'll never know how a small Fuzzy carrying a blue shell managed to run faster than the others). Eventually, we dead-ended at an area with four trees in the center. The Fuzzy jumped up into the branches of a tree.

"Meeeooork!" It shrieked. "Meork!"

"Give us back that shell!" I shouted up at it. "Don't make us come up there!"

"Come get it if you can!" the Fuzzy taunted. "Nyeah, nyeah!"

I blinked.

"You can talk?" I asked. "Why didn't you talk earlier?"

"That's not important right now!" the Fuzzy said.

He climbed up into the obscurity of the tree leaves.

"Meeeeeoooooork!" it shrieked. "Guess where I'm hiding?"

It then jumped from tree to tree, sort of like one of those "Can you keep up" mini games you always see in video games. I managed to keep track of where it landed, and hit the tree it was in. A ding sound sounded and the Fuzzy fell out.

"Where'd that ding come from?" I asked, looking around.

"Meee-ooh?" the Fuzzy asked. "Not bad, chump! But that was just a warm-up!"

It climbed back into the tree.

"Meeeeeoooooork!" it shrieked. "Guess where I'm hiding?"

It jumped from tree to tree again, this time much faster, but I still managed to keep up. I hit the tree he was in, and again a ding sound came as he fell out.

"York!?" it shrieked, yet again. "Meeoork? You got me twice!? Must've been luck! Now I'm serious!"

It climbed back into the tree.

"Meeeeeoooooork!" it shrieked. "Guess where I'm hiding?"

It jumped from tree to tree so rapidly, not even I could keep up.

"You didn't manage to keep up, did you?" I asked Goombario.

"No..." Goombario said sheepishly.

Suddenly, we both heard a faint screaming. We looked up, and we saw Goompa in the sky, falling toward us.

"TAKE COVER!!!" I shouted, diving out of the way. Fortunately, Goompa landed in the tree. Even more fortunate, he fell out the other side along with the Fuzzy and Kooper's Shell.

"Wow," I said. "That was lucky."

"Pain..." the Fuzzy said.

"Hey, look!" Goompa said, picking up Kooper's Shell. "It's a mushroom! If I eat it, I'll grow big!"

"WAIT, NO!!!" I screamed, tackling him. We both rolled around for a bit, trying to yank the shell from the other. Goombario just stood there, watching.

"Uh..." he said. "Listen, if anyone sees this, I don't know either of you. I'll just... go now."

He turned to leave, but was stopped by Kooper.

"There you guys are!" he said. "I realized I have to take a stand against these Fuzzies! If I can't get my own shell, I'll lose my reputation!"

"Uh..." Goombario said, Goompa and I rolling around in the background.

"I don't even care that I have no shell on!" Kooper continued. "I'm gonna show those Fuzzies what's what!"

"Dude," Goombario said, "we already got the shell back. Well... sort of."

He directed Kooper to Goompa and me.

"Stop, nasty egg person!" Goompa said, headboncking me. "We wants the precious!"

"OW!" I said, letting go of him and rubbing my head.

Goompa laughed hysterically as he ran with the Shell. Kooper stopped him in his tracks, however.

"Excuse me sir," he said politely, "may I have my shell back?"

"Why of course, young man!" Goompa said, handing the shell to him.

"Are you freaking serious!?" I shouted, getting up and rubbing my head. "All I had to do was ask for it!?"

"No," Goompa said, sticking his tongue out at me. "You had to ask for it _politely_."

"You're lucky there are witnesses around, old man," I growled at him.

By this time, Kooper had his shell back on.

"All right!" he said, pumping his fist into the air. "Thanks, guys! I owe you one!"

"Anytime," Goombario said.

"You're quite welcome, young man!" Goompa said.

I walked towards Goompa, holding my hammer, when both Kooper and Goombario stopped me.

"Not today dude," Goombario said. "Not today."

"How could you hate such a nice old man?" Kooper asked.

"Nice old man!?" I screamed. "He's insane for Pete sakes!"

"You are a very confused little boy, Jeremiah," Goompa said.

If it weren't for Kooper and Goombario, I would have bashed his skull in with my hammer right then and there.

"Say, Mario..." Kooper said suddenly. "I have an idea... Do you happen to know Professor Kolorado?"

"Never heard of him," I said.

"Know him?" Goompa asked. "I used to fish with him! Then he always sent me to a nice place full of people who fed me food and kept me in a jacket that taught me how to hug myself! "

"Why am I not surprised?" I muttered to myself.

"Anyway," Goombario said, "he's a Koopa who's a professor of archaeology. He's also known as an explorer."

"Right!" Kooper said. "Well, I live next to him."

"Really?" I asked. "That must be cool for you. I mean, that would be the equivalent of me living next door to J. K. Rowling."

"Who's that?" Goombario and Kooper asked me.

"Long story," I said, shaking my head. "Continue."

"Right," Kooper said. "Anyway, I've been admiring Professor Kolorado ever since I was in my egg!"

_I knew Koopas came from eggs!_ I thought to myself. _When I get back home, Travis owes me 5 bucks!_

"Nothing would make me happier than traveling the world, solving mysteries like he does!" Kooper said.

I resisted the urge to mention Scooby Doo.

"So..." Kooper continued. "Do you think... Could I... Please take me with you, Mario! I'll help! C'mon, lemme go!"

"Of course!" I said. "The more the merrier!"

"Oh, yes!!! Yes!!!" Kooper said excitedly. "I'm on my way! I swear, I, Kooper, will follow you anywhere, even to the ends of the earth!"

"Can I come to?" Goompa asked.

"Heck no!" I shouted to him. "As far as I care, you can go rot in a sack!"

"But I did that last week!" Goompa whined.

We all took a step back.

"Let's go," I said to Kooper and Goombario. "Maybe if we're lucky, we'll lose him on the way back."

We all turned to leave when we heard a familiar "Meeeeooork!"

"Oh heck no," I said, turning around to see a group of Fuzzies.

"You destroyed our brother!" one of them said. "Now we will destroy you!"

"You destroyed their brother?" Goompa asked us. "How could you, you soul-less jerks!?"

"You freaking idiot!" I screamed at him. "You're the one who-"

I was cut short as all the Fuzzies jumped at us. We managed to roll out of the way in time.

"Goombario!" I said, pulling out my hammer. "Info!"

"You know they're Fuzzies," Goombario said, "but you have to watch out for their quickness! Plus, if they latch onto you, they'll suck out your very life!"

"Oh that's just perfect," I muttered to myself as I wacked away a Fuzzy with my hammer. "Anything else?"

"As long as we don't infuriate them," Goombario said as he headboncked a Fuzzy, "we should be fine if we just take them out one at a time."

It was then Goompa walked up and started jeering at the Fuzzies.

"Hey you little puff balls!" he shouted at them. "You're nothing but posers! You couldn't hurt a fly! Yo Mamas are so fat that when they sit around the house, they sit _around_ the house!"

The Fuzzies all turned red as they attacked with twice the speed, power, and ferociousness.

"You're NOT HELPING!!!" I screamed at Goompa as I hit a Fuzzy and rolled out of the way of a few others.

"How can we possibly take all these guys down!?" Kooper asked as he shell tossed at a group of Fuzzies.

I got up and looked at my surroundings. When I saw the trees, I gave a grin.

"Distract them!" I shouted. "I have an idea!"

"How are we supposed to-" Kooper started.

"Behold, Fuzzies of all ages!" Goombario said in a dramatic voice. "The amazing Kooper will juggle beyond your wildest imaginations!"

All the Fuzzies stopped to look at them, interested. Nervous, Kooper looked to Goombario. Acting on a whim, he kicked a few rocks to Kooper. Fortunately, he knew how to juggle, so he began to juggle the rocks.

"Boring," one of the Fuzzies said. "Let's just go ahead and kill them already."

"W-wait!" Goombario said, scanning the area. "Um... have you ever seen anyone juggle a live Goomba before?"

"Wait, what?" Kooper asked. Suddenly, he found himself juggling Goompa.

"Wee!!!" went Goompa.

The Fuzzies seemed very interested.

While Goombario and Kooper was distracting them, I was pulling down a tree as far as I could (Mario is deceptively strong, believe it or not) and holding it there. As I strained to keep the tree down, I turned my head to see Kooper juggling several rocks, Goombario, Goompa, and every single one of the Fuzzies. I gave an impressed whistle.

"Now!" I shouted to him. "Throw the Fuzzies onto this tree!"

Kooper managed to drop off Goombario and Goompa and throw all the Fuzzies onto the tree.

"Sayonara, suckas!" I said, letting go of the tree and jumping back.

The tree worked like a catapult and it flung all of the Fuzzies into the sky and to who-knows-where.

"There!" I said, turning around and wiping my hands together. "I don't think we'll be hearing from them anytime soon."

"Yippee!" Goompa said, jumping into the air. "I did it! I got rid of all the Fuzzies!"

"Do you want to be on the tree next, old man?" I asked, gritting my teeth.

"Look," Kooper said, standing between me and Goompa, "the important thing is that we won. I think it's about time we get out of here."

"Agreed," Goombario said. "Coming, Mario?"

I growled at Goompa as I walked with my two friends. Goompa was too distracted by a butterfly to follow us.

"So," Kooper said as we walked down the path, "where are we going, anyway?"

"Koopa Bros. For-" I started, but just then, a black arrow whizzed just millimeters past my ear.

"What the heck?" I asked, looking around.

Suddenly, a figure landed in front of us. It was humanoid, but hunched over. It was completely pitch black, except for it's pure white eyes, which felt like they were staring into your soul. It also had clawed hands and feet. Basically, if you know what a heartless is, imagine that, only the size of a full grown man. It looked up at me and grinned a wicked scary grin.

"**Ah,**" it said in a voice that's impossible to describe. Imagine the voice that makes up your worst nightmares. That's what that voice sounded like, sort of. "**There you are, Dream Keeper.**"

"W-what are you?" I asked, holding out my hammer at it. "What's a Dream Keeper?"

"**So I see you still haven't found out your true identity yet,**" It said. "**Anyway, I suppose introductions are in order: I am Coron, your assassin.**"

It's arm transformed into a blade as it dashed at me. I managed to roll to the side as Goombario and Kooper jumped away. I tried hitting Coron with my hammer, but it phased right through it.

"What the..." I said. Coron gripped my neck, choking me.

"**Too easy,**" It said. "**Simply put, I need a nap. I'll just kill you now.**"

"Hi guys!" Goompa said, walking up to us. "What's up?"

While Coron was distracted, looking at Goompa, I kicked it away and rolled on the ground. I then picked up Goompa and threw him at Coron's face. This distracted Coron as it fell back, clawing at Goompa as he held on, laughing.

"RUN!!!" I screamed to Goombario and Kooper. All three of us ran down the path.

"Do you think that old man will be okay?" Kooper asked.

"I really don't care!" I said. "In fact, it's a win-win situation for me! If Goompa dies during that struggle, I'm free of him, and if Goompa manages to beat that Coron dude, we won't have to worry about him for awhile!"

That said, the three of us continued running towards Koopa Village.

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**Author's Notes: Is that enough of a plot twist for you, Sir Starlll? And how was that distraction during the battle, keybladeboy? Remember to review, everyone!**


	7. Chapter 7: An Old Castle

**Author's Notes: Chapter 7! Enjoy! ...yes, I really can't think of much to put up here.**

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_**Chapter 7: An old castle and a pink Bob-omb**_

"There," I panted. "I think we lost them."

We were in the area with the gap separating the Koopa Bros. Fortress, panting.

"Who was that guy anyway?" Kooper asked.

"A better question would be _what _was that guy," Goombario said. "I have no idea what it was, but it's not any species I've ever heard of before."

"Well," I said, "whatever it was, we lost it now."

"For now," Kooper said. "It could catch up to us at any minute."

"Which is why we should be getting to that castle asap," I said. I looked at the large blue container with an ! in it on the other side of the gap.

"Do you think you can hit that, Kooper?" I asked.

"Of course!" Kooper said, getting to the edge. "You just watch!"

He entered his shell, spun for a second, and launched at the "button". Suddenly, a bridge appeared over the water.

"There we go," I said as Kooper spun back to us. "Let's go, guys!"

The three of us crossed the bridge and continued onward. After awhile, we finally reached the Koopa Bros. Fortress.

"Wow," I said. "This place is..."

"Big?" Goombario asked.

"Menacing?" Kooper asked.

"Old," I said. "It looks like it's been here for ages. Come on guys."

The three of us walked to the front door. As soon as we reached it, however, Black Koopa came out of the door. He jumped when he saw us.

"Whoa!" he shouted. "Mario!!! What the...!"

"Hey there," I said politely. "We're here to kick your butts."

"Oh, we're in a world of hurt!" Black Koopa said. "Mario's here already! I gotta tell the leader! Red Kooooooopaaaa!!!"

With that, he ran back into the castle, slamming the door behind him.

"If he was smart," I said, pushing the door open, "he would have locked it when he dashed inside."

We entered the castle. We found ourselves in a large, round room with a pool of water in the center. Chains led up from the water.

"Cool," I said, looking in the water. "Hey, there are some stairs here! And some sleeping Koopas! I bet that'll come in handy later."

"Are you sure?" Kooper asked.

"Of course," I said. "Rule #2 of adventuring: If you're in a dungeon or something similar, and you see something strange and/or important looking in a large room, chances are you'll be using it sooner or later."

We continued onward for a bit. We fought a few baddies, but nothing really note worthy until we got into a sort of hallway with several Koopas, Bob-ombs, and Green Koopa. He turned around when he heard the door open, and saw us.

"Yeek!" he screamed. "Mario! You, uh... Don't try any... You'll still never find your way through this fortress!"

"Well," I sighed, "at least you said something. It's been getting kind of boring going through here, to tell you the truth. Thanks for spicing up our time."

"Umm..." Green Koopa said, not really knowing what to say. "It looks like there might be some fighting here. How exciting! See ya!"

He then ran off. All the enemies in the room ran at us. We managed to jump right over them.

"What are we looking at?" I asked as I jumped onto a Koopa.

"3 Koopas, 4 Bob-ombs, and Goompa," Goombario said.

We all stopped in our tracks, turned, and shouted: "Goompa!?"

"Really?" Goompa asked, looking around. "Where?"

"How did you survive Coron?" Kooper asked, avoiding a hit from a Bob-omb.

"I beat him up!" Goompa said.

"We can talk later!" I said, shaking my head. "Kooper, take the Bob-ombs, Goombario, take the Koopas, I'll take on whatever comes my way!"

"Oh! Oh!" Goompa said, jumping up and down. "Can I fight to? Pwease?"

"Uh..." Kooper said, "You can... go stand in the corner and sing battle music."

"Yay!" Goompa said. He ran to the corner and started singing the Pokémon battle theme. I wondered about this for a second before shaking my head and continuing the fight. Fortunately, the three of us were able to easily take them all down.

"There," I said. "And the best part is, Goompa didn't find any way to screw this up!"

"Hey, there's a pretty button here!" Goompa said. "'Seend on ree-an-force-mints.' Sounds like fun!"

He pushed the button with his head. Sirens began to go off.

"LET ME HIT HIM, JUST ONCE!" I shouted, walking towards Goompa and holding my hammer threateningly. Unfortunately, Koopas and Bob-ombs ran in at that time.

"Oh man," Goombario said.

"RUN!!!" Kooper shouted. The three of us ran as the group of Koopas and Bob-ombs chased us, Goompa in the lead.

"Catch them!" he shouted with a laugh.

"If we weren't in mortal danger, old man," I said, "I would so knock you into next week!"

We dashed madly through the castle, just trying not to get killed. Eventually, we reached a room with a few Koopas and Parakoopas.

"Alright," I said, "if we can just dash to the next door we-"

I wasn't able to finish, however, as both doors jumped up to the upper wall, preventing us from going through them.

"HOW!?" I shouted, flinging my arms into the air.

"No time to question the laws of physics," Goombario said, getting into a fighting stance. "We have some enemies to take care of!"

"Screw that!" I shouted. I used the Parakoopas to jump onto the raised up door and ran out. Goombario followed me suit.

"Hey!" Kooper said. "What about me? I can't jump like you guys! ...hello?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Yellow Koopa was messing with a yellow block on a balcony over a pit.

"OK!" He said, taking a step back to observe his handiwork. "This is perfect... I think."

He laughed to himself.

"As soon as Mario hits this button," he said to himself, "he'll fall into the prison with the others! And the best part is, he won't suspect a thing!"

"Uh..." I said, as both Goombario and I were standing behind him. Yellow Koopa turned around to look at us.

"Er..." he said. "H-hey there Mario! Make sure to push this button, 'kay?"

"Why?" I asked, looking at it.

"Um..." Yellow Koopa said. "I-it will lead you to your one true love! Yeah, that's right!"

I raised an eyebrow.

"No it won't," I said.

"Yes it will!" Yellow Koopa said.

"Prove it," I said with a smirk.

"Alright," Yellow Koopa said. "I will!"

He jumped under the yellow block, hitting it.

Nothing happened.

"Huh?" he asked. He hit it again, this time harder.

Again, nothing happened.

"Here," I said, "let me try."

Yellow Koopa stood to the side as I hit the block. Still, nothing happened.

"Hey Goombario," I said, "come help me hit this block, will you?"

He walked over and, at once, we both hit the block.

Still, nothing happened.

"I think this thing's stuck," I said, hitting the block. "Try loosening it, yellow."

"Good idea," he said, pulling out his screw driver and messing with it.

It was then that Kooper ran back, panting.

"Thanks a lot, guys!" he shouted at us. "You left me behind to defeat all those enemies all by myself! I can't believe you-what are you doing?"

"We're waiting for Yellow to loosen up this block," Goombario said.

"And... there!" Yellow Koopa said, backing off the balcony. "Now try hitting it."

"Alright," I said.

"Uh..." Kooper said as he walked up to us. "Are you sure that's such a good idea?"

I didn't hear this as I hit the button. Suddenly, the ground underneath us opened up.

I looked down, looked at my two friends, and said: "I think that dude just Looney-Tuned us!"

"I hate these kinds of gags," Kooper said before we all fell down, screaming.

"Bah ha ha ha ha!" Yellow Koopa shouted after us. "Serves you right! You fell for it!"

* * *

"Okay," a pink Bob-omb said, walking around the prison. "Maybe if we can find a way to make a tower out of ourselves..."

"Bombette," another Bob-omb said, "just give it up. There's no way out of here anyway."

"There HAS to be a way out!" Bombette said. "There's always a way out! We just have to find it!"

"Maybe if we wait a bit longer," another Bob-omb said, "it'll find us."

"Please," Bombette said. "You know I don't believe in that whole 'waiting to be rescued' thing. Besides, it's not like our only hope will just fall right out of the sky!"

It was then I fell right out of the sky.

And landed flat on my face on the concrete ground.

"Oh my gosh!" Bombette shouted, running up to me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said, my face still on the ground. "I broke the fall with my face."

I started to push myself up, but just then, Kooper landed on my back shell-first.

"There goes my spine," I grunted.

"Quick, get off him!" Bombette said to Kooper.

Seeing what he was laying on, he managed to roll himself off me. I rolled over onto my back.

"There," I said. "Now to just slowly lift myself-"

It was then Goombario fell on my stomach and bounced off. I grunted in pain.

"Well," I said in a rasp whisper, getting up, "at least now nothing else can fall on-"

It was then Goompa fell directly on my head. I fell unconscious immediately.

"Horray!" Goompa cheered. "I knocked him out! 10 points!"

Everyone glared at him.

"...what?" he asked, looking around innocently.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Yes, I know it's not my best-or longest-chapter, but I just wanted to get to the part where they met Bombette. I promise you, though, the next chapter will me much better. I'm going all the way to the Koopa Bros. fight then! Oh, and also, I'll only describe the major battles, such as Boss Battles, Mini Boss battles, etc. Until next time, everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8: Showdown with the Koopa Bros

**Author's Notes: Here's chapter 8! Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

_**Chapter 8: Showdown with the Koopa Bros.**_

I was awoken by an explosion near my head.

"I'm awake!" I shouted, sitting up.

"Good," Bombette said. "It took an explosion to wake you up. You sleep like a rock!"

"I've been told that," I said, shaking my head. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Oh!" Bombette said. "I never introduced myself. I'm Bombette, a Bob-omb."

"Uh..." Goombario said, nudging me. "Mario? A word?"

"Sure," I said, getting up.

"Mario?" Bombette asked. "I never thought I would meet such a famous person in a place like this."

"I never thought I would meet a shut up!" Goompa said.

"Excuse me?" Bombette asked, turning to Goompa angrily.

"Now now," Kooper said, getting between the two. "There's no reason for us to fight!"

"Mario," Goombario said to me as the three argued, "I don't think we should trust her."

"Why not?" I asked Goombario.

"Because," Goombario said, "Merlin told me that-"

"DID YOU JUST CALL ME FAT!?" Bombette screamed at Goompa, her fuse lighting.

"No," Goompa said, "I just said you must displace a vast amount of water when you're submerged."

"LET ME AT HIM!!!" Bombette screamed, storming toward Goompa. Kooper managed to hold her back, however.

"Thank you!" I shouted, flinging up my arms. "I thought I was the only one who wanted to hurt him!"

"You'd probably displace a lot of water to," Goompa said to me.

It took both Goombario and Kooper to hold me back.

"Shouldn't we be trying to find a way out?" Kooper asked, hoping this would distract us from trying to kill Goompa.

"Let's destroy Goompa as soon as we're safe and free, shall we?" I asked Bombette.

"You know it," Bombette said.

"How are we going to get out, anyway?" Goombario asked, staring at Bombette suspiciously.

"Oh no!" Goompa shouted. "I forgot that I'm missing my favorite show! I gotta go!"

He turned around and walked out a door marked "Exit".

"How did we miss that?" Bombette and I asked at the same time. I walked up to the door and tried the handle. It was locked.

"What the?" I asked, shaking the handle.

"I can't let you go this way!" Goompa shouted. "That's cheating!"

"Come back here you old fart!" I shouted. "Or I'll... I'll..."

"I'll bomb you into next month!" Bombette shouted.

"Oh, good one," I said.

"Thanks," Bombette said. "I thought so."

The sound of footsteps proved that Goompa already walked away.

"Great," I said, hitting the door. "Now what are we going to do?"

"Step aside," Bombette said. "I should be able to blast down the door."

I stepped back a few steps. Bombette walked up to the door and her fuse lit up. In a matter of seconds, there was an explosion, and the door was knocked down.

"There we go!" Bombette said, turning to us. "Let's go!"

I blinked.

"How can you do that and still be in one piece?" I asked her. I always wanted to ask a Bob-omb this, so I figured this would be a good a time as any.

"It's how Bob-ombs work," Bombette said simply. "You see, when a Bob-omb explodes, they sort of create a shell of power outside themselves, and cause that to explode."

"Can you explode like a regular bomb?" I asked.

"I can," Bombette replied, "and it would be ten times more powerful than any explosion I could ever do. Unfortunately, that would also kill me."

"Yeesh," I said. "Good idea not to do that then, huh?"

"Uh," Kooper said. "We really need to continue forward guys."

"Oh!" I said, stepping through the doorway. "Right. Sorry."

"Come on!" Bombette said, dashing out of the prison. "I know this castle inside and out! If you guys want to beat up the Koopa Bros. as much as I do, follow me!"

I followed close behind her, Kooper behind me. Goombario growled at Bombette before following in the rear.

_She's planning something, _he thought. _I just know it! As soon as she tries something, I'll be right there, ready to rebuttal!_

* * *

After awhile, the four of us finally reached a pathway outside of the Koopa Bros. Fortress.

"There!" Bombette said. "See that door over there? That leads to the Koopa Bros. main chamber!"

"Are you sure?" Goombario asked Bombette suspiciously.

"...yeah," she said, looking at Goombario with a raised eyebrow. "Why?"

"Just checking..." Goombario muttered.

"Shouldn't we start going?" Kooper asked.

"I was just about to ask the same thing," I said, walking ahead. Suddenly, none other than the Koopa Bros. ran out of the door.

"Well, well, well!" Red Koopa said, pointing to me. "Mario! I wouldn't have bet you'd make it this far."

"You'd be surprised," I said.

"And Bombette!" Red Koopa said. "I'm surprised you managed to escape the prison! I thought we locked you up well!"

"You did," Bombette said. "I simply escaped."

"Pfffft..." Red Koopa said. "Don't get smug, pal! You just caught us off guard! Trust me, we'll mop the floor with you if we get serious! We're as cool as they come!"

"Modest bunch, aren't they?" I asked Bombette.

"You have no idea," Bombette said, rolling her eyes.

He jumped down to his comrades, sitting near cannons.

"Yeah, boys!!!" he shouted. "Open fire!"

The cannons fired, and bullets with arms and faces shot out, coming toward us.

"Look out!" I shouted. We all dived out of the way.

"What are those things?" I asked Goombario.

"Bullet Bills!" Goombario shouted back. "Be careful, it would be seriously bad if you get hit by them!"

"Warning noted!" Kooper said, rolling out of the way of a Bullet Bill.

"Those cannons over there are the ones firing them!" Bombette said. "If we destroy them, the Bullet Bills will stop coming!"

"On it!" I shouted, pulling out my hammer and dashing to the cannons.

"That's suicide!" Goombario said. "You've just sent him to his death!"

He turned to look at Bombette, but he saw that she was dashing to the cannons as well.

"Looks like it's just you and me, kid," Kooper said, getting in his shell and going under a Bullet Bill.

"I'll take the Bills, you take the cannons!" I shouted, holding out my hammer.

"On it!" Bombette shouted, staying close to my side. One of the cannons shot a Bullet Bill at us. I smashed it to pieces with my hammer, and Bombette ran to the cannon and exploded. The cannon was destroyed instantly.

"One down..." Bombette said.

"...Two to go!" I finished.

Together, we defeated the two other cannons.

"Alright!" I said, pumping my fist into the air.

"We did it!" Bombette said, doing a sort of victory jump. "Now let's go kick some Koopa butt!"

Kooper ran up and glared at her.

"Sorry," Bombette said. "I meant Koopa Bros. butt."

"Apology accepted," Kooper said.

"Let's go," I said, stepping forward and pushing the doors open. Together, the four of us stepped into the room. We entered a large area held above a dark chasm by chains. Black Koopa turned around and jumped when he saw us.

"You guys ready!?" he shouted.

"Quite," I said.

"Not you!" Black Koopa shouted.

"Be clearer next time then," Bombette said.

Black Koopa growled at us. Red Koopa ran up to him.

"Hey, Black!" he said "What are you doing!? Hurry, man! Shake a leg!"

They ran off to the back of the room and stepped behind a curtain to conceal themselves.

"Ow!" one of them shouted. "My shell! Get off!"

"Wait..." another one said. "Wait a minute..."

"Whoa!!!" another shouted. There was a thump.

"Oh, for the love of..." One said. "What are you doing, Yellow!? That doesn't look cool at all!"

"How long do you think this is going to take?" I asked, leaning back against the wall.

"Knowing them," Bombette said, "at least another ten minutes."

"There!" One of them said. Suddenly, a large, cheesy looking robo-Bowser came out.

"Ha ha!" it said in Red Koopa's voice. "Quake in fear, Mario! For it is me, Bowser!"

I stared at it.

"Seriously," I said, "you couldn't possibly do any better?"

"Uh..." the not-Bowser said. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

Bombette walked up to it.

"There's even a self-destruct button on it!" She said. "Honestly, what's wrong with you?"

"You put the self-destruct button on the outside?" One of the Koopas whispered inside the Bowser.

"You put in a self-destruct button at all?" Another one whispered back.

While they were arguing, I walked up to the self-destruct button, standing next to Bombette.

"Do you want to push it or can I?" I asked her.

"Allow me," Bombette replied, pushing the button with her head. We both dashed away as a rapid beeping sound came from the Bowser, and it exploded. The four Koopa Bros. fell down.

"There we go!" I said. "Ready for us to kick your butts now?"

"I know I am," Bombette said, her fuse lighting.

"Fine!" Red Koopa said, getting up. "That's why we have Plan B!"

The Koopas stood on each other to create a tower.

"Let's do this!" they shouted together. The entire tower of them began to spin, and four shells shot out in our direction. We all managed to dive out of the way in time.

"Any ideas?" Kooper asked me.

"I'm thinking!" I replied as I scanned the area, my brain working in over gear.

"While you're doing that," Bombette said, "we'll go for them!"

"Don't worry about her," Goombario said as Bombette dashed to the tower. "I'm staying here to defend you!"

"Yeah yeah," I said, still thinking. "Thanks dude."

I looked at the chains going up and the point at which they connected on the ceiling.

"There!" I said, a thought forming. "You guys distract them! I have an idea!"

I dashed to the edge of the area and jumped. I managed to grab one of the chains.

"Let's hope all those times I spent climbing rope in Gym class will pay off," I muttered to myself. I began to climb up the chain.

As one of the Koopas dashed to Bombette, she waited for the last second before exploding. This caught the Koopa off guard as he fell back.

Goombario glared at Bombette. He then jumped up and knocked a Koopa over.

Unfortunately, this Koopa was Kooper.

"Hey!" he shouted. "I'm on your side, remember?"

"Sorry!" Goombario said, trying to push Kooper back up.

I was already half way up the chain now, perfectly fine.

"It's a good thing Mario's so athletic," I said to myself. "I would have been pooped right about now!"

"Hey!" one of the Koopa Bros. said, looking at me. "Mario's trying to do som-"

He wasn't able to finish, however, as Bombette exploded right next to him.

"Try worrying about what's going on down here," she said as she body slammed into him.

As the fighting continued, I reached close to the point where all the chains meet.

"This worked in Wind Waker," I said to myself, "so I hope it works here to!"

I began to swing the chain, and jumped to the point where all the chains met. My weight caused it to fall down.

"What was that supposed to do?" Red Koopa asked me.

"Wait for it..." I said.

Suddenly, the stairs submerged in water that we saw earlier crashed through the floor. Goombario, Kooper, and Bombette were safe, but I was caught on it along with the Koopa Bros.

"That was your plan?" Yellow Koopa asked me. "All that did was trap you with us!"

"No," I said. "THIS was my plan!"

I let go of the chains. Instantly, the stairs fell down. The Koopa Bros. screamed as we all fell down.

"Mario!" Goombario, Kooper, and Bombette shouted simultaneously. They all looked down the hole.

They didn't see me, however.

"He was the bravest of us all," Kooper said solemnly. "He sacrificed himself in order to-"

"Hey guys!" My voice shouted. They looked up to see me hanging at the edge of the hole the stairs made on the other side of them.

"A little help would be appreciated!" I shouted.

The three of them came by my side and helped me up.

"Thanks," I said. "Well, we did it. We beat the Koopa Bros."

"Alright!" Bombette shouted, jumping into the air.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and a card appeared in front of me.

"Huh?" I asked, grabbing the card. On it was a picture of the star with the great mustache.

"This must be what Bowser used to trap the Star Spirits!" Goombario said.

"Whoa whoa," Kooper said. "Time out. Star Spirits?"

"What are you guys doing, anyway?" Bombette asked.

"It's a long story," I said. "First, we should try and find out how to free this Star Spirit from this card."

"No," Bombette said. "First, we have to escape this castle."

"Good point," I said, pocketing the card. "Let's go."

Together, the four of us opened the doors and left the castle.

* * *

**Author's Notes: One down, six to go! Oh, and also, I'll be taking a temporary hiatus so I can finish that Truth or Dare chapter! Please remember to review!**


	9. Chapter 9: Two more stalkers

**Author's Notes: Here's another chapter! Enjoy!**

**---**

_**Chapter 9: Two more Stalkers and a forced Train Ride**_

"And so, Mario and friends beat the Koopa Bros. at their fortress and rescued the first Star Spirit. Still, six Star Spirits remain imprisoned, and they must save them as quickly as they can. The future of the Mushroom Kingdom, Star Haven and, of course, Princess Peach-"

"Will you shut up already!?" I shouted at Goompa, who was saying the things above.

The 5 of us were now outside the Koopa Bros. fortress. I have no idea how Goompa managed to catch up to us, but I thought better then to ask.

"So," Kooper said, looking at the Star Card, "this thing holds one of the seven revered Star Spirits?"

"And we're on a quest to save them all from Bowser and save the Mushroom Kingdom?" Bombette asked.

"Yeah actu-what do you mean, 'we'?" I asked. "You don't have any reason to continue with us. You've already done what you wanted to do."

"Perfect!" Goombario said, shoving us along and leaving Bombette behind. "So sorry to do this, feel free to write, don't let the door hit you on the way out, bye!"

"Hold your horses!" Bombette shouted, running up in front of us. "You honestly think you can get rid of me now? I've had more fun in this one afternoon than I have all my life! I'm coming with you guys!"

"M-maybe we should take a vote!" Goombario said. "Who wants her with us?"

Both Kooper and I raised our hands.

"Let's go then," I said.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Bombette asked. "How do we get the Star Spirit out of the card."

"Not sure," I said, taking the Star Card. I turned it upside-down and began shaking it. As expected, nothing happened.

"Come on..." I muttered. "How am I supposed to make this Star Card Activate any-WHOA!"

The Star Card glowed very brightly. Suddenly, in a bright flash of light, the Star with the mustache appeared over the card.

"...that's all I had to say?" I asked. "'Star Card Activate'? It's that simple?"

"I would be thankful if I were you," Bombette said. "It could be a highly complex code phrase."

"Good point," I said.

"Mario," the Star said, "I believe you'll save us all... From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate all you've done. Thank you."

"Don't mention it!" I said.

"Since you have freed me from my prison," the Star said, "the seal on my power is broken, and I will recover it little by little. As long as an ounce of power remains in me, I shall help you. However, there is one catch..."

"Isn't there always..." I muttered.

"You see," the Star said, "I am still trapped to that card. I cannot return to Star Haven yet. But, you can call upon my power at any time."

"Cool," I said. "I mean, not to you, of course, but it's cool that I can use your power in battle and stuff."

"Using my power requires energy," the Star continued.

"Star Energy that is!" Goompa said.

"Oh good freaking lord..." I said. "Is this going to be another stupid demonstration about how I have to push the A button when a magic light bulb lights up again!?"

"No!" Goompa said. "It's about selecting the Star Command from the battle menu-"

_**BOOM!!!**_

Bombette exploded right next to Goompa, sending him flying.

"Thank you!" I said to her.

"You're quite welcome," Bombette said. "To tell you the truth, I've wanted to do that ever since I first met him."

"Tell me about it," I said.

"Mario..." the Star said, turning back to me. "Listen carefully. You must save the other Star Spirits quickly! If the seven of us come together, we'll be able to bestow upon you a Star Power called the Star Beam."

"Sounds cool," Bombette said.

"Oh," the Star said, "it is. The Star Beam is the only thing that can counteract the Star Rod that Bowser wields."

"On it," I said. "Thanks for the info!"

"I feel my energy leaving me..." the Star said. "I must return to the Star Card before all my energy is completely depleted. Save us all, Mario..."

Then, in a flash of light, the Star was back in his card.

"Cool," I said, looking at the card. "Hey, check this out! It even has his name on it! 'Eldstar'. Cool."

"Shouldn't we be going now?" Kooper asked.

"Good point," I said, pocketing the card. "Maybe we can get some lunch when we get back to Toad Town. I haven't had anything to eat for awhile now."

My growling stomach confirmed it.

"Let's go," I said, walking ahead, followed by Bombette and Kooper. Goombario, once again in the rear, glared at Bombette before following. We walked for awhile before we heard a voice cry out: "Bombette!!!"

"Oh please no," Bombette sighed. We turned around to see a blue Bob-omb behind us.

"Bombette," he said, "my love, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!"

"I'm leaving on a quest," Bombette said. "And I'm not your love!"

"Who is he?" I asked. "Your boyfriend?"

"He likes to think he is," Bombette replied.

"Bombette," the blue Bob-omb said, "can't you see we were meant for each other? You are my love, my life, my-"

"Would you just go away already?" Bombette asked, annoyed. "Why can't you just leave me alone for one day?"

"But my heart aches every second I'm away from you!" the blue Bob-omb said. "I love you, Bombette! I lo-"

Suddenly, Coron ran up to us, hitting the blue Bob-omb and causing him to fly into the sky.

"This must be a 'mixed blessing'," Bombette said. "What is that thing?"

"I am Coron," Coron replied, slightly irritated. "That stupid Goomba may have put me behind schedule, but I will still kill you, Dream Keeper."

He held out his hand. It shot out like a hook-shot, straight at me. I managed to dive out of the way in time, however, and rolled onto my feet.

"This is just perfect," I said. "Can today get any worse!?"

My question was answered as a white, egg-like person jumped from behind the bushes.

"Hold it right there, Mario!" Jr. Troopa shouted. "I've been waiting for you! I told you I'd be back! Now I'll get my revenge! Here it comes, baby! Check it out!"

"...what are you doing here?" Coron asked, turning to him.

"I'm here to kill Mario!" Jr. Troopa shouted.

"Listen kid," Coron said, turning so he faced Jr. Troopa, "I've been given strict orders from the Lord of Nightmares himself for me personally to kill the Dream Keeper. I can't let some kid just jump on in and waste my precious time."

"KID!?" Jr. Troopa shouted. "I'll have you know I'm a very successful gang leader!"

"Let me guess," Coron said, rolling his pure white eyes, "you're the only member in a 'gang' in a very small village?"

"...shut up!" Jr. Troopa shouted at Coron.

"I thought so," Coron said, turning back around. "Now if you'll excuse me, I-"

He stopped in his tracks when he saw that my group and I were gone. We managed to sneak away while those two were arguing.

Slowly, Coron turned back to Jr. Troopa.

"...you do realize now that now neither of us can kill the Dream Keeper now, right?" he asked Jr. Troopa.

"What's a Dream Keeper?" Jr. Troopa asked.

Coron sighed.

---

"Phew!" I said, slowing down. "I think we lost them."

"Good," Bombette sighed. "Now, how about we head on over to a Toad House and get some well-deserved rest and food?"

"You took the words right out of my mouth," I said, turning to the Toad House.

"Mario!!!" A voice shouted. Instinctively, I ducked down and covered my head. Twink then flew from the sky and hovered in front of me.

"...why are you covering your head?" he asked me.

"You would too if every time you heard someone shout your name, you get hit in the head," I said, getting back up. "What's up, Twink?"

"I heard you saved the honorable Star Spirit who was captured by the Koopa Bros.!" Twink said excitedly.

"Yup," I said, showing him the Star Card as proof.

"Wow!" Twink said, staring at the Star Card. "Anyway, Bowser and his gang are so angry about it!"

"That just makes you wonder how he gets any news from space," I said as I pocketed the card again.

"I knew you could do it, Mario!" Twink said. "You're on your way!"

"Aw, it was nothing," I said. "Those Koopa Bros. weren't very bright or tough. Not a good combination."

"But enough celebration for now," Twink said. "I come bearing important information for you."

"Really?" I asked. "What is it?"

"It seems that one of the Star Spirits is being held captive somewhere in Dry Dry Desert," Twink said.

"...Dry Dry Desert?" I asked. "Seriously, who names this stuff?"

"Bowser wrote it in his diary," Twink said. "Some place called Dry Dry Ruins."

I couldn't decide whether to comment on the ruins' name or the fact that Bowser had a diary, so I kept my mouth shut.

"The princess braved the dangers of the castle to get you this clue, Mario!" Twink said.

"Really?" I asked. "So, she didn't just take some secret passage that conveniently led her to Bowser's Diary?"

"Uh..." Twink said, "...no?"

"Okay," I said. "Just checking. Go on."

"Anyway," Twink said, "if we find out anything else, I'll hurry back to tell you. I have to go back to Her Highness now. She's so brave! I hope this news helps!"

"It does," I said. "Thanks, and good luck!"

Twink flew off with a grin.

"Okay," I said, walking to the Toad House, "what do you say we rest up for the night and head to the desert first thing in the morning?"

"Mario!" a random Toad shouted, running up to me. "You have to come quick!"

"But I-" I started, but was dragged away by the Toad.

"We should probably follow him," Bombette said, running after me. Kooper and Goombario followed suit. The Toad dragged me south to an area that looked like a train station. On the tracks in front of the train was a boulder.

"We need this boulder moved!" the Toad said. "Please help, Mario!"

"Uh..." I said. "Okay. Bombette?"

Bombette walked up to the boulder, and with a quick explosion, the boulder was blown to pieces.

"Oh," a Toad that looked like a conductor said, "thank you, Mario!!! The train's back on track!"

"You're welcome," I said, turning around. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be having some well-deserved rest and-"

"All aboard!!!" the Toad said, grabbing my arm. "This train is bound for Mt. Rugged. Are you coming, Mario?"

"Actually I-" I started.

"Great!" the Toad said, shoving me onto the train. "Let's go!"

"But I-" I started, but I was strapped down, preventing escape. Luckily, my friends managed to jump onto the train as it took off.

That's how, against my will, I traveled to Mt. Rugged.

---

**Author's Notes: And now we have four stalkers; Goompa, Jr. Troopa, the blue Bob-omb, and Coron. What's gonna happen, you ask? Find out next time! Just remember to review, everyone!**


	10. Chapter 10: The World's Flying Mailman

**Author's Notes: Woo hoo! We've hit double digits, everyone! Enjoy!**

**---**

_**Chapter 10: The World's Only Flying Mailman**_

After a few hours, the train eventually came to a stop. I was un-strapped and thrown onto the ground.

"Mt. Rugged!" another Toad conductor said. "Mr. Rugged! Passengers heading for Dry Dry Desert or Dry Dry Outpost, should proceed directly over Mr. Rugged from this station."

"But I didn't even want to come here yet!" I said, getting up as my friends hopped off. "I wanted to rest at the Toad house, get some lunch-"

"Well you can rest at Dry Dry Outpost!" the Toad conductor said. "This is the last stop of the day no refunds so long, suckas!"

The train then dashed off at an incredibly high speed, leaving us behind.

"Well this sucks," I said. "It's already sunset and we didn't even get to rest!"

"It's alright," Kooper said. "All we have to do is head to Dry Dry Outpost and rest there. With any luck, maybe will find clues to the next Star Card there."

"Since when have we had what you call 'luck'?" Goombario asked.

"No," I said, "he's right. Let's just head to this outpost place. How do we get there, anyway?"

"That conductor said we had to climb Mt. Rugged to get there," Bombette said.

"It HAD to be over a mountain," I sighed. "Where is it, anyway?"

"Right over there, I think," Bombette said, turning around. We all turned to see a tall, rough, monster-infested mountain."

"Aw crap," I said. I then sighed and said, "Come on guys. Let's just get this over with."

Together, the four of us began the long walk up Mt. Rugged. We didn't get very high, however, when we heard someone shout: "Look out!"

Before I knew it, a Parakoopa rammed right into me.

"Oof!" I shouted as I fell to the ground. The Parakoopa rolled to the ground as well.

"Oh!" he said, getting up. "Sorry, folks! Very sorry!"

"It's cool," I said, getting myself up.

"This usually doesn't happen," the Parakoopa said, "but SOMEONE was jostling around so much, it caused me to crash land!"

"Really?" Goompa asked, sticking his head out of the Parakoopa's Mail bag. "Who?"

"Oh no," I said. "How did you get here?"

"I mailed myself to you!" Goompa said, hopping out.

"By the way," the Parakoopa said, taking out a clipboard and pen, "would you mind terribly signing here please?"

"I want to make a return, actually," I said.

"Aw..." Goompa said.

"Sorry," the Parakoopa said. "I can't do that."

"I'll take care of it, then," Bombette said, shoving Goompa off the edge of the mountain. The Parakoopa looked shocked.

"Is he..." he started.

"He'll be fine," I said. "In fact we should get out of here while we can."

"Wait a minute..." the Parakoopa said. "Are you... Mario? THE Mario?"

"_Ja_," I said.

"The name's Parakarry," the Parakoopa said, offering his hand to shake. "I deliver letters."

"The name's Mario," I said, shaking his hand. "I save the world. These are my friends, Bombette, Kooper, and Goombario."

"Hey," Kooper said.

"Nice to meet ya," Bombette said.

"Hello," Goombario said, glaring at Bombette's back.

"Anyway," Parakarry said, "I know we just met and everything, but do you mind helping me out a bit?"

"With what?" I asked.

"Well," Parakarry said, "you see, I'm normally a letter-perfect postman, but because of how much that Goompa struggled during flight, I'm having a bit of trouble with a lost letter. Wouldn't you know it--I dropped it on Mt. Rugged and now I can't find it... If you happen to stumble upon a letter anywhere around here, please tell me, all right? My job could depend on it!"

"You can count on us!" I said. "We always help those in need!"

"I'll be searching this area thoroughly for a while..." Parakarry said.

"Alright," I said. "If Goompa climbs back up, feel free to shove him back down."

"Okay," Parakarry said with a concerned look on his face.

"Let's go guys," I said to my friends, walking ahead.

"Mario," Goombario said, "why are we helping him?"

"Because 1," I said, "that's what adventurers are supposed to do, whether we like it or not, and 2, chances are, we'll get some kind of reward for doing this that will help us on our quest. Let's just look for that letter."

---

_**Enter Coron:**_

---

Yes, I'm contributing to this story as well. Like it or not, this is how the story's going on from now on. You know, just switching between the Dream Keeper and me. Anyway, while he was looking for that stupid letter, I was walking into Toad town with Jr. Troopa.

"So we're agreed?" I asked Jr. Troopa. "You can rough the Dre-er, Mario up a bit before I kill him."

"Yeah yeah," Jr. Troopa said. "Where is that plumber? I wanna rough him up!"

I bent down and focused. I sensed the exact path the Dream Keeper took.

"He took the train to Mt. Rugged," I said, getting back up. "Let's go."

"Yeah!" Jr. Troopa shouted, running ahead. I sighed as I followed him. Eventually, the two of us reached the Train station.

"What do you mean your closed for the day!?" Jr. Troopa shouted.

"Just that," the conductor said.

"Don't worry," I said, my arm transforming into a sword. "I'll take care of him."

"That won't be necessary," Jr. Troopa said. "I'll reason with him."

"Fine," I said, my hand turning back to its original claw form. "Just don't take too long, will yo-what are you doing?"

Both Jr. Troopa and the Toad conductor were in raison suits now.

"We're raisoning!" Jr. Troopa said, pulling out a raison. He placed it on the ground, and both he and the conductor danced around it, chanting "Raison! Raison!"

"Oh yeah," I said, leaning on a pole. "I forgot this dream was full of idiots. This could take awhile."

---

_**Enter Pax:**_

---

Me again! Anyway, I should probably continue the story, shouldn't I?

"Here!" I said, handing Parakarry the letter. We were all roughed up, and some of my clothes were even ripped up. "You wouldn't believe what we had to go through to get this stinking letter!"

"Oh..." Parakarry said as he took the letter. "Did I say one letter? There's actually three letters out here."

My eye twitched.

"You mean..." I growled, "I have to go through all that heck again... for TWO MORE STINKING LETTERS!?"

"Well..." Parakarry said. Both Bombette and I walked up to him threateningly.

"T-they shouldn't be that hard to find!" he said, backing up. He looked up and sighed.

"In fact," he said, "it's right up there!"

We all turned around to see two letters on a ledge...

...under a boulder...

...in a cave...

...guarded by blood thirsty monsters...

...near a lava pit.

"Okay," I said, "why the heck is there even a lava pit here? It's a mountain for Pete's sake!"

"Bombette!" A voice sounded. We all looked up to see the blue Bob-omb standing on top of the cave.

"I have come to announce my undying love for you!" he called. "You and me foevuh, baby!"

"One sec," I said as I bent down and picked up a rock. I aimed, then tossed it. It hit the blue Bob-omb square in the head, knocking him out and causing him to fall on the monsters. The monsters, then, jumped on him, and all three of them fell off the cliff.

"That takes care of half the problem," I said, walking to the path leading up to the cliff.

"If I had hands," Bombette said, following me, "I would have done that years ago."

The four of us managed to cross the lava pit (don't ask me how, to this day I still don't know) and entered the cave.

"Alright," I said, getting on one side of the boulder, "PUSH!"

Together, we managed to push the boulder off the cliff.

"Horray!" Goompa said, running up to Parakarry. "I'm back!"

Suddenly, the boulder rammed into Goompa, causing both him and the boulder to fall off the mountain.

"Two birds with one stone," I said as we climbed back down. "Here's your letters, by the way."

"Alright!" Parakarry said. "Now I've got all the letters I've lost! Oh, thank you so much! You're a lifesaver! I wish there were some way I could repay you for your help."

"Well," I said, "for starters-"

"Actually," Parakarry interrupted, "To be honest... I haven't just lost letters on Mt. Rugged..."

"...what?" I asked.

"I may have sort of dropped some all over the Mushroom Kingdom while I was flying," Parakarry said.

"How could you-" I started.

"That Goomba was REALLY struggling," Parakarry explained. "Heh heh... yeah. You know, you're good at finding letters."

"I don't like where this is going," Bombette said, voicing my exact thoughts.

"Do you think you could keep an eye out during your travels?" Parakarry asked. "In return, I would offer you whatever help I can."

"You know," I said, "why doesn't anyone else from the postal service help you find the letters?"

"Because I'm the only one in the postal service," Parakarry replied.

"You mean," I said, "you deliver every single letter in the Mushroom Kingdom single handedly?"

"Yep," Parakarry answered. "I work every day. Weekends and holidays to. I don't get a single day off for all my hard work, and the pay is horrible to!"

He laughed for a minute, then that laugh turned into sobs as Parakarry sobbed onto my shoulder.

"Uh..." I said, patting him, "there there?"

More out of sympathy then anything, I asked Parakarry: "Do you want to come with us on our quest? It would give you some time off and-"

"Oh, praise the Stars!" Parakarry shouted, hugging me. "I wasn't looking forward to having to find those letters all by myself, no sir. I'll do my very best to help! You shall not regret this!"

"...okay," I said. "Shouldn't we be heading out now?"

"Your right!" Parakarry shouted, flying ahead. "Onward!"

"What an odd Parakoopa," Kooper said, following him. Goombario walked next to him.

"Is this how our entire quest is going to play out?" Bombette asked me as we followed in the rear.

"Most likely," I replied. "I'm just blindly hoping that we'll meet more people like us."

"Funny and good looking?" Bombette joked.

"Sane," I replied, dead serious.

---

_**Enter Coron:**_

---

It was nighttime now, and Jr. Troopa and the Toad Conductor were still doing that stupid raison dance.

"Look," I asked, pinching my forehead, "are you two done reasoning?"

"_Raison_ing," Jr. Troopa and the conductor corrected.

"Whatever!" I shouted, flinging my arms into the air. "Are you two Yahoos done or what?"

"Almost," Jr. Troopa said. The conductor picked up the raison and popped it in his mouth, closing his eyes and slowly chewing it as if it were a religious experience. After about a minute, he gave a thumbs up.

"Alright!" Jr. Troopa said, turning back to me. "He says we're on the next available train to Mt. Rugged!"

"Good," I sighed.

"...first thing tomorrow morning!" Jr. Troopa finished.

"You know what?" I asked, not being able to take it anymore, "forget it."

I then picked up the conductor, threw him a few yards away, and jumped onto the train.

"Get on," I said, pulling switches and pushing buttons, "or I'm leaving you behind."

Jr. Troopa jumped on, and we rode off into the night.

---

**Author's Notes: You know, seeing this through Coron's point of view almost makes me feel sorry for him. Emphasis on **_**almost**_**. I apologize if this isn't a very good chapter, I just wanted to get it over with and introduce Parakarry and move on to the desert. Remember to review, everyone!**


	11. Chapter 11: The Desert at Night

**Author's Notes: Yet another chapter! Enjoy!**

---

_**Chapter 11: The Desert... at Night**_

---

_**Enter Pax:**_

---

The moon was high in the sky by then. The five of us walked across a bridge leading to Dry Dry Desert.

"...so then I said, 'shell? That's my wife!'" Parakarry said. Kooper began laughing hysterically. Goombario, Bombette and I just stared at them with blank looks on our faces.

"It's... it's a Koopa joke," Kooper said, breathing steadily. "You'd have to be a Koopa to understand it."

"Alright," I said with a yawn. "Come on. I want to get to that Toad house, get something to eat, and sleep before something else comes along and-"

"Hey there!" a voice called. "Hold up a sec, partner!"

"Of course!" I said, flinging my arms into the air.

"Jest a dern minute..." the voice continued. We turned to see a large vulture sitting on a nest. "I've seen you somewhere..."

The Vulture flew right in front of us and pulled out a piece of paper. After looking at it for a second, the vulture put it away.

"Yep," the vulture said, "verrrry similar! You look a lot like this feller Mario who's on Bowser's wanted poster..."

"He makes posters?" I asked.

"Now give!" the vulture said. "What's yer name?"

"Uh..." I said, racking my brain. "I'm... Pax! Yeah, I'm Pax! And, uh, these are my friends: Sir Starlll, Keybladeboy, Midna Hytwilian, and Jyrral Von Ueberwald!"

Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, and Parakarry grinned, sweat trickling down their faces.

"Hm..." the vulture said, its tiny pea brain working in overdrive. "Well... Pax, eh, pard...? You do look like this dude..."

"I've been told that often," I said.

"Well," the vulture continued, "yer not Mario, I guess. I reckon you can pass."

"Okay," I said, walking past the vulture. "Nice meeting you, by the way!"

"Yer quite welcome!" The vulture said as it flew off. As soon as we were all out of earshot, I sighed.

"I can't believe that vulture fell for that!" I said.

"Where did you come up with those names, anyway?" Bombette asked.

"They just... came to me, I guess," I lied, shrugging. "Now come on. Let's get through this unbearably hot desert."

It was there I was wrong. You see, deserts are only hot in the day, because of all the sun beating down on it. At night, however, it's not unbearably hot.

It's unbearably cold.

"Brr..." I said, shivering. "I can't believe how cold it is here. How can you guys stand it?"

"What do you mean?" Kooper asked.

"Well," I said, "you and Parakarry have shells, so I can understand you two. Goombario and Bombette, however, you two are naked! How can you stand this cold?"

"It's not that bad," Goombario said with a shrug.

"And I'm not totally naked!" Bombette said. "I have shoes on, you know!"

(For the record, I know what you're thinking, you sick perverts.)

"Alright," I said, rubbing my arms together. "Let's just get out of here and-hey, what's that over there?"

Nearby, a tent was set up. Three Koopas were sitting near a fire next to it. They all had miner's hats on, and one of them had a mustache. This Koopa noticed us and got up.

"Well," he said, "hello there, old boy! How goes the travels, eh?"

"Not bad," I said as Kooper got a look of shock and/or glee on his face.

"I'm known as Kolorado," the Koopa said. "I'm an archaeologist, you know. I travel the world. At the moment I'm turning Dry Dry Desert upside down to find the Dry Dry Ruins. My assistants have attempted to gather information in Dry Dry Outpost, which is near here. Sadly, as of yet, we're having little success. All I need's a clue and we'll be golden!"

"Well," I said, "if we see anything, we'll make sure to-"

"What!?" Kooper shouted. "Whoa! You're Professor Kolorado!!! It's Kooper! I live next to you! It's so great to see you! I never would've expected to meet up with you out here! I'm right in the middle of an expedition with Mario. I wanna be an archaeologist like you."

"Hello there, Kooper," Kolorado said, walking to Kooper. "It's been ages! So... If you're serious about taking up archaeology, you and I should go exploring someday. Anytime, really!"

"Take him!" Goompa said, he standing right next to us. "He's been nothing but trouble the past 4 weeks!"

"It's only been a day!" I shouted at him. "And how did you get here?"

"Yes!" Goompa said, covering himself in butter and sliding his butt across the desert floor.

"...for now," Kolorado continued with Kooper as Bombette and I chased after Goompa, "you concentrate on your adventure with Mario. You'll never attain such fame in archaeology as I have if you don't finish one task before starting the next."

"Wise words," Goombario said.

"Whoa!" Kooper said. "Ok! As soon as we're done saving the princess and Mushroom Kingdom and everything, you and I'll go exploring!"

"Come on," Parakarry said, dragging Kooper away. "Oh, and by the way Mr. Kolorado, you have a letter."

"Oh, good show!" Kolorado said, taking the letter. "It's a letter from my wife. Thank you ever so, old chap. This is just what I needed to give me the strength to go on."

"And those extra helpings of dinner probably helped to," one of the workers muttered underneath his breath.

"...hey," Goombario said, looking around. "What happened to Mario and Bombette?"

Everyone looked around to see that we were gone.

"This is her work!" Goombario said, dashing off. "Come on, we have to find them!"

"Wait!" Parakarry said, grabbing onto Goombario. "If we randomly dash into the desert, we'll get lost as well! Our only hope is to head to Dry Dry Outpost and hope they'll find us."

Goombario glanced into the desert before nodding and continuing with the rest of the group.

---

"Weee!!!" Goompa shouted, still sliding on the desert floor. Bombette and I were gasping for breath, resting on a rock.

"I... hate... that... old... fart..." I gasped.

"Me... too..." Bombette gasped.

After gasping for awhile, Bombette looked around.

"Hey..." she said. "What happened to the others?"

I looked around as well.

"Aw crap," I said. "We lost them!"

"How are we going to find our way back?" Bombette asked.

"I have no clue," I said, looking around. "Maybe we can find someone to help us."

"Nope!" Goompa said. "There's nothing here but rocks, cactuses, and monsters!"

"Shut up," Bombette snapped at him. "I still have enough energy to beat the living snot out of-did you just say monsters?"

A growling sound came from behind us. We turned around slowly to see several Chain Chomps ready to eat us up. Bombette and I looked at each other before throwing Goompa at the Chain Chomps and running off.

"Maybe this time he'll stay dead!" I shouted as we dashed off.

"We can always hope!" Bombette shouted back.

---

_**Enter Coron:**_

---

I kicked Jr. Troopa.

"Wake up," I said. "We're here."

Jr. Troopa yawned as he got up. I have to give him props, he doesn't get hurt easily.

"Alright!" he said. "We're here! Let's go get that Mario!"

"Hold your horses kid," I said, grabbing his shoulder. "I have to track him first."

I placed my hand on the ground, focusing.

"Oh, just my luck," I muttered. "They went over the mountain, and into a monster infested area to. This isn't going to be easy."

"We can beat those monsters!" Jr. Troopa said. "We're team anti-Mario, after all!"

"...team Anti-Mario?" I asked him.

"Well," Jr. Troopa said, "I figured our team had to have a cool name!"

"Okay," I said, "1) We're not a team, I'm just taking you along, and 2) the name 'Team Anti-Mario' sucks."

"Well excuse me!" Jr. Troopa said. "What name would you suggest?"

"I wouldn't suggest a name for a team," I said, walking towards the mountain. However, after a moment of thought, I said: "Team Nightmare."

"Alright!" Jr. Troopa shouted, running to catch up with me. "Team Nightmare go!"

I sighed, sorry I said anything in the first place. Suddenly, a screaming sound came from the sky. We looked up to see a meteorite falling towards us. I held out my hand, and it transformed into a shield that surrounded Jr. Troopa and I. The sound of an explosion came from outside the shield. I pulled it back in to see the meteorite. It turned out not to be a meteorite, but a giant Goomba with a King's Crown.

"What the heck is that?" Jr. Troopa asked, pulling out a stick and poking it.

"I have no-" I started, but suddenly, the Goomba opened his eyes and jumped up.

"Where is he!?" he screamed.

"Who?" Jr. Troopa asked.

"MARIO!!!" the Goomba shouted. "I want to destroy him for what he did to me!!!"

"Hey," Jr. Troopa said, getting excited, "me too!"

"Don't get involved," I said, seeing what was coming.

"How about you join Team Nightmare?" Jr. Troopa asked. "We're working to find and destroy Mario!"

"Really?" the Goomba asked. "Horray! My name's King Goomba! Let's go beat Mario now!"

"Don't I have a say in any of this?" I asked. King Goomba and Jr. Troopa ignored me, however, as they dashed ahead. Sighing, I followed behind.

---

_**Enter Pax:**_

---

Bombette and I were resting on the desert floor now, gasping.

"I hate this desert..." Bombette said.

"Likewise," I replied.

Looking into the sky, I said: "At least the sky is beautiful tonight."

"Right," Bombette said, also staring into the sky. "Look at all the stars out tonight."

"You know," I said, "where I come from, you can barely see any stars anymore."

"That's sounds horrible," Bombette said. "I don't know what I would do if I couldn't see any of the stars. They're beautiful."

"That they are." I said, taking in all the stars in the night sky.

After a moment of the two of us watching the sky in silence, I sniffed a few times, smelling something.

"Do you smell something?" I asked Bombette. She sighed.

"Look," she said, "I haven't had a chance to take a shower yet. I know I don't smell the freshest, but-"

"No, not that," I said, still smelling. "It smells like... grass and water."

I stood up and followed the smell. Bombette, confused, followed me. Soon, we were both at...

"An oasis!" I shouted, gleeful. "Oh, sweet, sweet oasis!"

"And fruit!" Bombette said, looking into a few of the trees. I managed to pull some out and give a few to Bombette.

"Tomorrow," I said, "we'll find our friends. But tonight, we feast!"

"Alright!" Bombette said, taking a bite into her fruit.

And the rest of that night, we filled our stomachs with fruit and spoke until we slept.

---

**Author's Notes: Well, that's it! It looks like more people are joining team Nightmare now. Remember to review, everyone!**


	12. Chapter 12: From Lemon to Ruins

**Author's Notes: New chapter! Enjoy! ...I really need to think about better things to put up here.**

---

_**Chapter 12: From Lemon to Ruins**_

---

_**Enter Pax:**_

---

_Mario,_ a voice said to me.

"Five more minutes mom," I muttered.

An explosion near my head caused me to jolt awake.

"I'm awake!" I shouted.

"Good," Bombette said. "Have I ever told you that you sleep like a rock?"

"I believe so," I said, getting up. It was about noon now, and the sun was blaring down on us. Fortunately, the shade of the trees around the oasis made it bearable.

"So," I said, "how do you think we'll find the others?"

"I don't know," Bombette admitted. "It could take us days or even weeks to-"

"HEY GUYS!" a voice shouted. We turned around to see Goombario, Kooper, and Parakarry running towards us.

"There you are!" I said. "Where have you been?"

"Where have we been?" Kooper asked. "Where have you been? We've been looking for you all day!"

"We were just resting at this nice little oasis," Bombette said. "Lucky we found it, actually."

"This IS lucky," Parakarry said as he picked a lemon. "We needed a lemon to gain information."

"Remind me to ask you why later," I said. "Come on. Where is Dry Dry outpost anyway?"

"Just follow us," Parakarry said as he pocketed the lemon. "It's not far off."

"Alright," I said. Kooper, Parakarry and I walked towards Dry Dry Outpost. Bombette began to follow us, but was stopped by Goombario.

"I know what you're up to," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Bombette asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't you go trying anything with Mario!" Goombario said. "I'm keeping my eye on you."

"W-what?" Bombette asked, blushing. "I wouldn't try anything with Mario!"

Goombario didn't listen, however, as he walked away. Bombette then followed behind.

_Who does he think I am?_ she thought. _I wouldn't even think of hitting on Mario!_

---

_**Enter Coron**_

---

"I'm telling you," Jr. Troopa said, "we're lost!"

"We're not lost," I said, irritated. "I'm simply tracking down their exact steps. It's not my fault they took a faulty path."

"Maybe we should-" King Goomba started.

"Quiet, you!" Jr. Troopa and I snapped at him.

King Goomba sighed. He then looked up and said: "What the heck is that!?"

A red shell dashed toward us at the speed of a bullet. I held out my hand, turning it into a shield. The shell simply bounced off, and a red Koopa came out of the shell.

"MARIO!" he shouted. "My brothers may have abandoned their hopes of defeating you, but I will never stop trying to-hey, you're not Mario!"

"We've been told that," I said angrily.

"You want to defeat Mario to?" King Goomba asked.

"How about you join our team?" Jr. Troopa asked.

"Horray!" Red Koopa said. "I'll do that!"

"Fine!" I said, flinging my arms into the air. "Do whatever the hell you want! I don't care anymore! Do you want to bring a hobo or something with you now that you've-"

"His name is George!" Jr. Troopa said, dragging a hobo in front of me. The hobo himself looked very confused. "He's gonna help us!"

"How did I get here?" George asked, looking around.

"Don't know, don't care," I said, walking forward. "You better keep up or I'm leaving you behind."

"I think I'll be leaving now..." George said, trying to sneak away. Unfortunately for him, however, he was picked up by King Goomba and carried away with the rest of the losers.

---

_**Enter Pax:**_

---

"Here we are," Kooper said. "Dry Dry Outpost."

"Interesting place," I said, looking around. "At least it's appropriately named. So, what were you talking about earlier about needing a lemon for info?"

"There's this person in the back of town who trades info for food," Kooper explained. "And he said he would give us extra good information for a lemon. Oh, and there he is now."

We all walked up to a green person wrapped up in cloth.

"Someone who gives things is nice," he said. "Yes, very nice. Nice guys get told nice stuff."

"Here's a lemon," Parakarry said, handing him the lemon.

"I thank you for giving things," the green person said. "To show I am truly thankful, allow me to tell you something. What would you like to hear about?"

"How about how to get to the ruins?" Bombette asked.

"We already asked that," Kooper said. "In order to find it, we need help from someone called Moustafa. We would like to know how to find him."

"To find Mr. Moustafa," the green person said, "go to the shop in this town. First buy a Dried Shroom. Then buy a Dusty Hammer. You must buy them in the correct order, yes? Remember, Dried Shroom first and then Dusty Hammer. This is a secret sign known to those loyal to Moustafa. If you buy these things in the correct order, the owner of the shop will let you see Mr. Moustafa. Remember, you must not buy them in the incorrect order!"

"On it," I said, walking away. "Thanks for the info!"

We began to walk to the shop, but suddenly, a blue mouse came from an ally and pulled me in.

"What the-" I started.

"I figured you might want to come here," he said as my friends caught up with me. "Trust me on this."

"What do you-" I started.

"Hello, welcome, how are you?" a female voice asked. I turned to see someone dressed in pink cloth, covering everything except her eyes. "Feeling jolly? Feeling blue?"

"Well actually-" I started.

"I'm Merlee, you see?" the female asked. "That's me! A cuter gal you'll never see. I do magic, but not for free."

"Modest, aren't you?" I asked. "What do you mean by magic, exactly?"

"Your luck has steered you well for I'm a master of the spell," Merlee continued. "When my spell upon you glows you might get lucky, but who knows?"

"You can give me luck?" I asked. "I really need some of that..."

"Do you dare to take a chance?" Merlee continued. "Want to watch my cards dance?"

"Why not?" I asked, shrugging.

"Oh," Merlee said, "how lovely! Very good! Pick just one now, if you would."

She pulled up a sign that read:

"Special Course: 50 Coins. Ordinary Course: 20 coins. Petit Course: 5 Coins."

"I guess I'll go with the special course," I said, pulling out my wallet. "I have money to blow anyway. Here you go!"

"Well," Merlee said, taking the coins, "we're ready! Tally-ho! And here we go!"

Suddenly, I was surrounded by three cards. These cards fused into one card, with me still in it. It then split into three again, spun around, went back to one, and spat me out onto the ground.

"I think you'll find this power might get your foes to cower," Merlee said. "It will light your darkest hour. Even should you meet a beast... Do not fear! Not in the least! My spell makes a famine feast."

"Holy crap," I said, getting up, "did you see me whirl? Oh, I think I'm about to hurl."

I covered my mouth, not believing what was coming out.

"What the heck?" I asked. "Why did I rhyme? I don't do that most of the time."

"It's a side-effect of my spell," Merlee said. "Do not worry. Soon you will be well. See you, then. Please come again. Good-bye, my friend!"

"Wait a minute!" I shouted. "How long will this last? Because I want it over fast!"

Unfortunately, by then, Merlee was gone.

"Aw this is perfect!" I said. "Come on, let's go. We have to go and get on with the show!"

"That's going to get really annoying really fast," Bombette said.

"You're telling me," I said. "This alone should be the fee."

The five of us walked to the store and entered.

"Hello there!" the mouse owner said. "Can I help you with anything?"

"One Dried Shroom and one Dusty Hammer," I said. "Come on now. Do I have to wave a banner?"

"What ho!" the owner shouted, running up to us. "Buying a Dusty Hammer after a Dried Shroom... is a secret sign that only friends of Mr. Moustafa know! ... That means... You're in with Moustafa!"

"Well," I said, "you could say that, I suppose. Come on, let's continue before moss grows."

_Before moss grows? _I thought. _These rhymes keep getting worse and worse._

"Hey!" he said. "Brother! Good to meet you! Have any questions you need answered?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but Bombette said, "I think it would be easier for everyone concerned if you let us do the talking, Mario."

Nodding, I closed my mouth.

"Anyway," Bombette said, turning to the shop owner, "we really need to see this Moustafa person."

"...you want to see Mr. Moustafa?" the shop owner asked.

"That's what I just said, actually," Bombette said.

"He's usually up on the highest part of Dry Dry Outpost," the shop owner said. "Just keep going up, my man!"

Bombette glared at him.

"...and woman," he quickly added.

"Thank you," she said, turning to leave. Together, the five of us managed to reach the highest point in town. Upon entering, we saw the cloaked green person sitting on a couch.

"Hey, nice guy," he said. "We meet again. I'm glad you found me."

He then ripped off his cloth, revealing himself to be a green mouse with a bandana and a turban.

"I'm Moustafa," he said. "I'm the one you've been seeking all this time. When I'm out and about in Dry Dry Outpost, I use the name Sheek."

If I didn't have to rhyme when I spoke, I would have made a Legend of Zelda reference.

"It's always good to meet a genuinely nice guy," Moustafa continued. "I meet people all the time, but you are by far the nicest guy I've met so far. Your name is Mario, yes? I heard that you want to go to Dry Dry Ruins."

I nodded my head.

"...why aren't you speaking?" Moustafa asked.

"He had one of Merlee's spells," Kooper explained.

"Oh," Moustafa said, "I completely understand. Once, I had one of her spells placed on me, and the rhymes that were coming out were so horrid I-"

He stopped, shaking his head.

"Never mind," he said. "We're getting off topic here. The point is, I have a feeling you are on an important journey, so I will tell you the secret. Dry Dry Ruins is a very important place. My ancestors have watched over it for many generations. If I do not keep evil folk out of the ruins, who will? You must promise me that you will tell no one this secret!"

I held one hand up and crossed my chest with another finger.

"I'll give you this," Moustafa said, tossing me a pink gem. "This Pulse Stone is the key to finding Dry Dry Ruins. Take it to the desert, yes? The Pulse Stone will flash above your head as you get close to the ruins. The closer you get to the ruins, the faster the Pulse Stone will flash. Follow where it leads you! Find the place where the Pulse Stone flashes the fastest and use it to open the way."

I gave him the "Okay" hand signal before leaving.

---

_**Enter Coron:**_

---

"Finally!" Jr. Troopa said as we entered the desert. "We made it!"

"I never thought I would be so happy to be in a desert!" King Goomba said.

"We're just one step away from finding and destroying Mario!" Red Koopa said.

"Pancakes!" Goompa said. We all turned to see him.

"How did you get here?" I asked him.

"You know," Goompa said, "I think the real question is: How did here get me?"

"Just get out of here, old man," I said. "I have enough crap to deal with as it is already."

"Okay," Goompa said. "But whatever you do, DON'T go to the oasis! No one is there at all!"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yep!" Goompa continued. "And I'm not just saying that so you won't go there! I'm so helpful!"

"You're right," I said with a grin. "Thanks for the info, moron. Come on guys. Our next stop is the oasis."

---

_**Enter Pax:**_

---

Fortunately for us, Goompa's stupidity sent them in the exact opposite direction of where we were going. I was holding out the stone, pointing it in different directions until it pulsated, at which time we followed in that direction. Eventually, we all reached a pillar with a gap in it, large enough to fit the Pulse Stone. Unfortunately, on top of the pillar was...

"Bombette!" the blue Bob-omb called out.

"How did you get here!?" Bombette asked, surprised.

"I know everywhere your going, thanks to that GPS chip I implanted in your-I mean, my love tells me where you're going, baby!" the blue Bob-omb said.

"Just go away," Bombette said.

"All I ask for is a kiss," the blue Bob-omb said, jumping down. "A beautiful kiss from a beautiful Bob-omb like you, ba-"

He was cut short as I slammed my hammer into him, launching him into the sky.

"Thank you," Bombette said to me.

"You're welcome, Bombette," I said. "Come on now, let's jet."

"I _really _hope that ends soon," Parakarry said.

"We all do," Kooper said.

I placed the Pulse Stone into the pillar. Instantly, the entire pillar sank into the sands, and a large temple slowly came out.

"This must be Dry Dry Ruins," Kooper said in awe.

"Are you sure?" Goombario asked. "How do we know it's not some other ruins in the desert? There are surprisingly a lot."

"Because of that big, flashing neon sign that says: 'Dry Dry Ruins'," Kooper said, pointing to it.

"Fair enough," Goombario said.

Together, the five of us entered Dry Dry Ruins.

---

**Author's Notes: Next chapter is Dry Dry Ruins everyone! Also, I'm not putting in the power block. I figured everyone should gain power by their own means. Well, the next chapter should be out soon! Please, please, PLEASE review everyone! See you next time!**


	13. Chapter 13: A New Hammer

****

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay, but here it is! Chapter 13! Enjoy!

**

* * *

**

_**Chapter 13: A new Hammer, a cliché chase scene, and the lamest boss battle in history**_

_**Enter Pax:**_

_**

* * *

**_

The five of us entered the ruins, looking around.

"Strange..." Bombette said.

"What?" Parakarry asked her.

"These are supposed to be ruins, right?" she asked. "So, they should be really old?"

I nodded.

"Then why doesn't it look super old and cracked?" she asked.

"Maybe it's because it's been underground for so long," I said. I blinked, then shot my fist into the air.

"YAHOO!" I shouted. "I don't have to rhyme anymore!"

"It was fun while it lasted," Bombette joked.

"Very funny," I said. "Come on, we have some ruins to explore."

We continued to the next room of the ruins. As soon as we entered, we were ambushed by blue spiky creatures. They dashed at us, but we dived out of the way in time.

"Goombario!" I shouted, pulling out my hammer. "Info!"

"It's a Pokey Mummy!" Goombario shouted, dodging an attack. "The mummification made 'em poisonous!"

"It HAD to be poison..." I said to myself as I slammed my hammer into one. It wasn't long before we beat them all.

"That wasn't so hard," I said. "Let's go, everyone!"

We continued through the Ruins. After a little exploration, we came across a new room.

"Fool!" a voice shouted. "You have ignored my warning, haven't you? You fool!"

"...what warning?" I asked.

"You will fall to my legions and become a mummy of the sands!" the voice continued. It then ended.

"...right," Pax said, continuing on.

"Why are you going on without any fear?" Goombario asked me.

"Rule of adventuring #3:" I said. "If a dark and ominous voice tells you to go back or you'll be cursed or something like that, chances are you're getting warmer. Come on guys."

We continued forward.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"I don't understand!" I shouted. "They're not here!"

We were at the oasis now, and no one was there.

"I told you no one was here," Goompa said, as he followed us.

"But... but you said that you weren't just saying that to keep us from coming here!" I said.

"I know," Goompa said. "I wasn't."

I screamed in anger.

"Get out of here before I drown you in the lake over there!" I screamed at him.

Goompa nodded stupidly before running off. I breathed heavily as I leaned on a tree.

"No one... talk to me..." I breathed.

"...you know," George said to the rest, "if you ask me, you should try tracing Mario's path like you have done earlier, only after we reach the town."

"...that's actually a good idea," I said.

"Let's go then!" Red Koopa said, going forward. We all followed suit.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

We entered yet another room in the ruins. This one had a few caskets like the ones the Pokey Mummies were in, but they weren't opening and no monsters were trying to kill us, so it was off to a good start.

"Looks peaceful enough," I said, walking through. There was a single block in the room at the end. Seeing no other way to move forward, I hit it. Suddenly, the caskets opened, revealing the Pokey Mummies. Not only that, but a few bats swooped in as well.

"Of course!" I shouted, pulling out my hammer. "Goombario, what are those bats?"

"They're Swoopers, ghost bats," Goombario said. "Most of the time, they're too high to hit without flying."

"Did someone say flying?" Parakarry asked, hovering up for emphasis.

"Alright," Pax said. "Parakarry, you go after the Swoopers. Kooper, Bombette and I will take care of the Pokey Mummies. You'll have to sit this one out Goombario."

"Aw..." Goombario said as we took off to fight the monsters. With our combined team effort, it didn't take long at all to defeat the monsters. As soon as we defeated them all, a key dropped from the ceiling. Grabbing it, I un-locked the door ahead and moved onward. We hopped over a small gap and came into a large-ish room.

"Uh...?" the voice said. "Wait! C'mon, don't go in that room! ...Ooops. Ahem! I mean..."

In a more sinister tone, it said: "Flee now while you still can! If you continue... uh... you'll feel a horrible curse!"

"See?" I said to Goombario. "What did I tell you?"

After solving a simple puzzle, we came across a huge treasure chest.

"Let's see what's inside..." I said, opening it up. In it was a hammer, only with a steel top.

"Sweet!" I said, picking the hammer up. "This thing looks wicked powerful!"

"It is!" Kooper said. "It the Super Hammer! It's not only more powerful, but it can also destroy stone blocks!"

We all turned to look at him.

"...what?" he asked with a shrug. "I read magazines, okay?"

"...right," I said. "Well come on! We have to carry on!"

I smashed a stone block that was in our way, then continued on.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"We're here," King Goomba said. "Now, use your super cool tracking powers!"

"They're called Nightmare Powers," I said, bending down and sensing the path of the Dream Keeper. After about a minute, I opened my eyes and got up.

"That way," I said, pointing in a direction. We all walked in that direction. My eyes still closed, we turned in different directions. West. North. East.

After a few minutes of walking, I stopped.

"Someone scuffed up the tracks," I said, opening my eyes. "Who in the world could have-"

I stopped when I saw a janitor sweeping the desert floor.

"'Scuse me," he said, sweeping past us. "Just keeping our desert clean."

"...I'm not even going to begin saying how little that made sense," I said.

"Good," the janitor said. "Don't."

He then climbed onto his broom and flew up into the air, disappearing with a ding. We all stood there, staring at the point where he disappeared.

"...how about we say that was a hallucination and never talk about this again?" Jr. Troopa suggested.

"Agreed," we all agreed. We then set off in the desert, hoping lady luck would help us find the Dream Keeper.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

We were all exploring the ruins for awhile when we discovered an idol statue thing on a pedestal.

"What's that?" Bombette asked.

"No clue," I said, "but we probably need it later."

I walked up to the pedestal and picked up the idol.

"There," I said. "Maybe this is what we need to place in that thing we saw earli-AHH!!!"

The pedestal sunk into the ground, and a boulder came out, chasing us. We ran like heck, screaming.

"It's always a boulder!" I shouted. "Why does it always have to be boulders?"

"I dunno," Goompa said, as he was running with us now. He had a satchel, a whip, and fedora. I stared at him for a minute, still running.

"Hey boulder!" I shouted. "There's Indy right there! Go and get him!"

After I said this, the boulder turned as if it had a mind of its own and began chasing Goompa down a separate passage.

"...I can't believe that worked," Bombette said, slowing down to a stop.

"You and me both," I said. "Come on. Luckily, that boulder chased us to where we needed to go."

We were now in a room with a pedestal with a hole in it. I placed the idol in the pedestal. Suddenly, the entire ruins began shaking. Soon, a section of the floor lowered, revealing a separate chamber.

"Sweet!" I said, going down into the chamber. My friends followed suit. We walked down into a small chamber with a passage in front of us.

"This is your final warning!" the voice shouted. "Enough of this foolishness! Leave at once! If you do not, I will-"

"Hey, cool!" Goompa's voice said. "Sweet intercom! Luke, I am your father!"

"Hey, give that back!" the voice shouted. There was a sound of a fight, then the intercom shut off.

"...this is some ancient ruins," I said, "and it has an intercom?"

"You say that as if your surprised," Bombette said as we continued forward.

We entered a pitch-black room. All that was in it were some flames on the walls.

"Bleah heh heh heh..." the voice said. Suddenly, a pharaoh's crown appeared. It floated around for awhile until a chunky Koopa appeared, he wearing the crown.

"You!!" he shouted. "You ignored all those very scary warnings!"

"...scary?" I asked. "I've heard scarier at a little kid's horror house."

"Don't you have the common sense to get scared and run away?" the Koopa shouted at us. "What's wrong with you!?"

"It's called bravery," Bombette said. "Look it up."

"You shouldn't mess with Tutankoopa, a faithful follower of King Bowser!" the Koopa shouted.

"...Tutankoopa?" I asked.

"Seriously," Kooper said, "that's a disgrace to all Koopas."

"Amen," Parakarry said with a nod.

"You shall regret this!!!" Tutankoopa shouted. "Mario! We shall have an epic duel!"

"Alright," I said, pulling out my hammer. "You guys stay back. I got this one."

As my friends stepped back, Tutankoopa clapped his hands twice. Suddenly, a chess board raised from the ground.

"Let's do this!" Tutankoopa shouted. "I call black!"

"...are you freaking serious?" I asked. "Chess? I thought you meant a _real _battle, with punching and kicking and such!"

"I think we're more civilized than that!" Tutankoopa said. "If you'd prefer, though, we could have a collectable trading card duel! I have a few booster packs that you could borrow!"

"...chess it is then," I said, sitting down. "Your move."

"Alright," Tutankoopa said, pushing a Pawn forward.

"Pawn to D4!" he shouted. "Beat that!"

I remained silent as I moved a Pawn to D5.

"Good one..." Tutankoopa said as he moved a Pawn to B3.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"Well," King Goomba said, "we're not making much progress."

"How about those ruins?" Jr. Troopa said, pointing at some large ruins we were passing.

"...well," Red Koopa said, "adventurers ARE attracted to ruins. I guess it couldn't hurt."

"...they're definitely in there," I said, sensing the ground. "Let's go."

We all took a few steps forward when a green mouse with a turban jumped down.

"You cannot enter," he said. "Only the nice guy's allowed in here."

"Outta the way runt," I said, stepping forward. Suddenly, he back flipped and knocked me back.

"What the?" I asked. "No one's gotten the drop on me in years!"

"I've been told that," the mouse said.

"Whatever," I said, my arm transforming into a sword. "We still outnumber you five to one."

"Make that four to one," George said, stepping back. "I'd rather not fight a battle I know I won't win."

"Whatever," I said. "Team Nightmare, ATTACK!!!"

The four of us dashed forward as George sat back and watched. I swiped at him with my sword-hand, but he flipped right over it and landed on Red Koopa, kicking him into King Goomba. They were both sent flying away.

"Now I know how Mario beat them so quickly..." Jr. Troopa said as he dashed forward. The mouse simply side stepped him and hit him in his neck, knocking him out instantly.

It was just me and the mouse. We stood there, wind blowing by.

"It's just you and me," the mouse said. "Best of luck to you."

"You to," I said. "You're gonna need it."

We both screamed as we dashed at each other. I swiped with my arm/sword, but the mouse pulled out some knives he hid in his sleeves and kept the blade at bay. We continued to fight, swiping at each other and parrying each other's blows.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Boo yah!" Tutankoopa said, moving his bishop. "Check!"

I simply moved my knight and took his bishop.

"Ooh..." Tutankoopa said. "I didn't see that coming..."

"How much longer do you think this'll take?" Goompa asked, kicking some dirt.

"2, 3 hours tops," Bombette said as she flipped through a magazine.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

The mouse tried a lower kick, but I back flipped over it. In mid air, I transformed into a drill and dived down at him. The mouse rolled away in time and kicked me in the ribs as I fell down. I grunted as I fell back.

"This is good," George said, eating popcorn as he watched.

"You're NOT HELPING!" I shouted as I shot an arrow at the mouse, which he naturally dodged.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Yeah!" Tutankoopa said. "I took your Queen! Eat that!"

I moved a bishop to take his Queen.

"Aw darnit!" Tutankoopa said. He moved a Pawn uncertainly. I then moved a Rook, taking the Pawn.

"Checkmate," I said. He looked down in shock at the board, seeing just that.

"Y... you're mean!" he cried. "I'm gonna go complain about my problems on the internet!"

He then ran away, crying. During his flight, he dropped the Star Card. I walked over and picked it up.

"Sweet!" I shouted, holding up the Star Card. "I got a Star Card! The boss battle was kinda lame, but I still got the Star Card!"

Everyone gave a cheer.

"Let's head back to Toad Town," Kooper said.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," I said, pocketing the Star Card. "Let's go."

Together, the five of us left the room.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

I laid on the ground, defeated.

"That'll teach you to try to mess with nice guys," the mouse said before running off.

"I... hate... mice..." I said, slowly getting up.

"You have to admit that fight was awesome though," George said. "The way you two jumped off each other when you..."

I gave him a venomous glare.

"...right," George said. "Well, we should probably get the rest of the team and head to the town to rest, shouldn't we?"

"Screw them," I said, walking off. "Feel free to collect them if you want, I'm going to rest myself."

I walked off, grumbling to myself.

"...okay," George said. He then walked off to find the rest of the team.

* * *

**Author's Notes: And thus ends the Dry Dry Ruins Part! Until next time, everyone! Remember to review!**


	14. Chapter 14: Out of the Desert

**Author's Notes: Anuduh Chaptuh! Enjoy, everyone! Also, thanks for all of your kind words about the Chess Battle last chapter. I honestly didn't think so many people would find it funny.**

**

* * *

**

_**Chapter 14: Out of the Desert and into the Woods**_

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

I entered the Inn in the town, feeling really ticked. Before the Inn Keeper could say anything, I looked him in the eyes.

"You want to let me stay for free tonight," I said.

"I want to let you stay for free tonight," the Inn keeper said in a monotone.

"You want to leave and go out into the town until tomorrow," I said.

"I want to leave and go out into the town until tomorrow," the Inn keeper said, once again in a monotone. He then turned around and left the Inn.

"Finally," I sighed, laying down in the bed. "Alone at last."

"I'll say!" King Goompa, who was standing over me, said. I screamed as I jumped back.

"You!?" I shouted. "How... when... "

"Just a minute ago," King Goomba replied.

"This place is swanky!" Red Koopa said.

"You weren't there a minute ago!!!" I shouted.

"No, I wasn't," the Red Koopa agreed.

"Finally," George sighed, lying down in a bed, "a place to rest..."

"Can you explain what the bloody 'ell is going on here?" I asked him.

George didn't answer, as he was already sleeping.

"All right!" a nerdy man in a Pharos's costume said as he was sitting in front of a computer that wasn't there a minute ago. "My Dwarf leveled up to level 18!"

"...forget it," I said, walking toward the door. "I'm not even gonna ask who you are or how you got-where's egg boy?"

"No clue," King Goomba said.

"Maybe he died a horrible death," I said hopefully.

"Or maybe he simply ran ahead to ambush Mario," Red Koopa suggested.

"Mario?" the pharaoh wannabe asked. "I totally hate that guy! He beat me in a game of chess and took the Star Card that Bowser entrusted me with!"

We all turned to stare at him.

"…chess?" I asked.

"Yeah!" the not-pharaoh said. "I thought we could settle it like civilized men, and since he didn't want to do a collectable trading card duel, we played a game of chess!"

We were all silent as we stared at him.

"…and Bowser chose you to guard the Star Card why?" I asked him.

This time, it was his turn to be silent.

"You stole it from the person Bowser chose originally, didn't you?" the Red Koopa asked.

"…maybe," the fake pharaoh said.

We all face-palmed.

"Whatever," I said, laying down in a bed. "Either shut up or leave, I need to rest."

"You're just mad because you were beat by a mouse," King Goomba laughed.

"So were you," I replied.

That shut him up.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Thank you Mario," the Star Spirit said to me after I released her from the Star Card. "At last, I can head home to Star Haven."

"See, about that…" I said.

"You're still trapped in the card," Bombette finished for me. "Although you're no longer in enemy hands, and we can call on you at any time."

"I see…" the Star Spirit said. "Well, at least it's good not to be trapped by that geek pharaoh wannabe anymore."

"I'll say," I laughed.

"Anyway," the Star Spirit continued, "my name is Mamar. So nice to meet you in person!"

"You too," I said with a smile. "I like your bow."

Mamar giggled and suppressed a blush.

"You've still got a long way to go," she continued when she got a hold of herself, "but I just know you can save Princess Peach!"

"Everyone seems to think so," I muttered under my breath. "Thanks."

"I'll do my best to help you!" Mamar said. "If you call on me in battle, I'll lull all enemies to sleep!"

"That's handy," Kooper said.

"Call on me when times are bad," Mamar said. "Believe in this, Mario: My powers are strong… I'm a Star Spirit, after all!"

"I believe you," I said.

"Hm hm hm…" she chuckled. "Our powers are growing all the time. Keep up the good work, Mario! You must save the other Star Spirits as soon as possible!"

"Of course," I said. "Thanks for the chat. Return."

I said this last word while holding out the Star Card. Mamar disappeared in a flash of light, and her image re-appeared on the Star Card.

"So," I said, pocketing the Star Card, "next stop: Toad Town. Again."

"You think anything will drag us away from the food and rest this time?" Bombette asked as we walked.

"I hope to God not," I said.

After a little bit of chatting and walking, we came to Kolorado's tent. He and his assistants were packing up, apparently done with that area.

"Well, what ill luck!" Kolorado said as we approached him. "No clues about the ruins! I'm getting so frustrated I just might have to give up the excavation for now… How very sad…"

"Sorry 'bout that," I said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Hey, wait a minute," Kooper said, pulling out a small stone statue. "I found this in the temple. Maybe it'll help you."

"When did you-" I started.

"I say…?" Kolorado said. "Kooper, that artifact you hold in your hand… It looks like… It looks quite important!"

"No duh," I muttered under my breath.

"Pardon?" Kolorado asked me.

"I said… uh… of course, that makes perfect sense!" I said.

"Anyway…" Kolorado continued, "do my eyes deceive me, or is that a clue to Dry Dry Ruins?"

"Since it came from the ruins and all, I would think so," Bombette said. Kolorado wasn't listening at the moment, however.

"Kooper!" Kolorado said. "Old chum! I beg of you! Could you possibly part with it?"

"Of course!" Kooper said, handing him the statue.

"Cheers, Kooper!" Kolorado said. "Smashing, really, old boy!"

"…how come I never noticed before how British he sounds?" I whispered to Bombette.

"What's a British?" Bombette asked. I sighed.

"Never mind," I replied.

"Soon now, the mysterious Dry Dry Ruins will rise from the sands that conceal them!" Kolorado said. "As a brilliant archaeologist, I say it must be-"

_**BOOM!!!**_

A huge explosion sounded from somewhere in the desert. Suddenly, a chunk of the ruins fell close to where we were standing.

"And that takes care of that!" Goompa said, walking toward us. "Hi, guys!"

"…you made an ancient temple that's been around for hundreds of years explode!?" I asked him.

"Thousands," Kolorado corrected, he in shock.

"Yup," Goompa said. "It was just a waste of space, so I got rid of it."

"Why you little…" Kolorado said, pulling up his sleeves and walking toward Goompa.

"Please," Bombette said. "Let me."

She charged at Goompa and exploded at the exact second she made contact with him, causing him to be blasted far, far away.

"Nice one," I said, looking at the spot in the sky where Goompa disappeared. "That's farther than I launched him last time."

"How far do you think he would go if we both hit him at the same time?" Bombette asked me as we began walking. Goombario followed out of suspicion, and Parakarry had to convince Kooper to leave the side of the horrified Kolorado.

"Hopefully far enough to keep him away for a day," I replied.

"We can always hope," Bombette sighed.

"Hey there, Pax!" the vulture said as we passed.

"Yo!" I said with a wave.

"I still can't believe he actually fell for that load of baloney," Bombette said after we were out of earshot.

"It's convenient, at least," I shrugged.

After a little bit of walking and minimal fighting, we came back to the train station.

"Hello, sir," the conductor said, as if his whole "screw you I'm going back to toad town so long, suckers!" moment didn't happen. "This train is bound for Toad Town Station. Are you coming aboard?"

"Yup," I said, climbing onto the train. I was followed by Bombette, Goombario (who was glaring at her), Parakarry, and Kooper.

"That'll be five coins each, sir," the toad said. Deciding it would be better not to argue, I simply sighed and tossed him 25 coins.

"Thank you kindly, sir," the conductor said. "All aboard!"

The train then set off for Toad Town.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"Did you hear that?" King Goomba said when the sound of an explosion sounded.

"What do you suppose that was?" the geek non-pharaoh asked.

"Don't know, don't care," I replied.

Suddenly, Jr. Troopa crashed from the ceiling and landed in a heap in the middle of the room.

"Ow…" he moaned.

"You were in whatever blew up when it blew up, huh?" I asked him.

"Yeah…" Jr. Troopa moaned. "I think I broke my shell."

"You'll live," I shrugged. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna nap."

_**Coron…**_ a dark voice said from nowhere.

"Lord of Nightmares," I said, getting on my knees and bowing to the air. "What is it, my dark master?"

_**Why are you not going after the Dream Keeper? **_The voice asked.

"He and his friends are more powerful than I had originally planned," I replied. "Forgive me, my lord. My companions and I are simply resting here for the night and coming up with a strategy to take the Dream Keeper by surprise."

"Who are you talking to?" Jr. Troopa asked. I gave him a look that warned him to shut up.

_**You want a strategy to take the Dream Keeper by surprise? **_The voice asked me. _**Fine. Here's what you must do…**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

It was sunset by the time we reached Toad Town.

"Toad Town!" the conductor shouted as the five of us hopped off the train. "Toad Town!"

"Thanks for the ride," I said as we walked off.

"Now what?" Kooper asked.

"Now we eat and sleep," I replied. "Tomorrow, we'll head out to wherever the heck we need to go in order to get the next Star Ca-"

"Aaaaaaaagh!!" a voice shouted.

"What now?" I sighed as we ran over a nearby bridge to see who just screamed. There, we saw a toad guard, curled against the wall of a building and shaking like a leaf.

"What the heck just happened?" I asked him.

"Brrrrrrrrr…" he shivered. "Juh… Just now, a ghost passed right in front of me…"

"A ghost?" Goombario asked.

"Uhhh…" the toad guard continued. "You saw it, didn't you?"

"Sorry," I said, shaking my head.

"No…" the guard said, shaking his head. "You must have!!"

He looked behind me and jumped, his face paling and his pants… ahem… well, you get the picture.

"Over there----!!!!!" he screamed, pointing behind us. When we turned to look, however, nothing was there.

"No," the toad said, looking in another direction, once again behind us, "no, the other way---!!!"

Again, we turned to look, but nothing was there.

"It went into the forest!!!" the toad screeched.

We turned to the entrance to the forest, but nothing was there.

"Ma…" the toad stuttered. "Mario, this madness has to end. Will you go into the forest and see what's going on? I'm ashamed to say it's my job, but I just can't go. I'm too frightened of ghosts! Puh… Please, I'm begging you."

I wanted to say "no". I wanted to rest and eat. But, seeing him so scared, my heart melted.

"Alright," I said. "If it makes you feel better, we'll scope the place and chase out any ghosts we find.

"THANK YOU!!!" the guard said, wrapping his arms around me in a hug (which felt really uncomfortable with his pants… warm).

"Uh… you're welcome," I said. "Please let go of me."

"Right, right," the toad said, letting go of me. "Sorry."

"It's cool," I said, walking into the forest. "Come on, guys. This shouldn't take to long."

Little did I know that it would be a lot longer than I thought.

And little did I know that by the end of this quest, one of us would be shot dead and none of our lives would ever be the same.

Okay, I'm just kidding about that last part. Scared you though, didn't I?

* * *

**Author's Notes: Another chapter out! I'll try to pump out as many chapters this week as I can, so you can look forward to it! This is Pax the Dreamer, signing out.**


	15. Chapter 15: The Forest of Fear

**Author's Notes: Yet another chapter! Wow, two chapters in one day… cool. Anywho, here it is!**

**

* * *

**

_**Chapter 15: The Forest of Fear… and Flowers**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

We walked into the forest, looking for the ghost. The second we stepped in, however, everything became darker and creepier.

"Okay," I said, looking around, "in retrospect, entering the forest looking for ghosts would probably have been smarter to do in the day time."

Suddenly, a Boo-a sort of ghost thing, look it up-appeared. This one looked like an old fashioned butler, with the mustache, the towel draped over an arm, the obviously fake toupee and all.

"WHOA!" we shouted, jumping back. It was dark and creepy, and the fact that a ghost suddenly appeared didn't really help our nerves.

"Pardon me, sir…" the Boo said politely. "Would you happen to me Mario?"

"Y-yeah," I stuttered, my nerves still shot. After shaking my head and pulling myself together, I said: "I mean, yes. Yes, I am."

"How do you do, sir?" the Boo asked me.

"Quite well, thank you," I replied. "Are you the Boo that made the toad guard back there wet his pants?"

"That would be I," the Boo said. "My master wishes to see you. If you would, please call on us at the mansion on the far side of Forever Forest."

"Wait," I said. "Forever Forest? First Dry Dry Desert, now Forever Forest? What's next? The Terrible Toy Box?"

"My master would also like me top add that she has in her possession important news regarding the Star Cards," the Boo said, ignoring my sarcastic inquiry.

"Really?" I asked, he having caught my attention.

"Really," the Boo said. "Please make haste! We shall await your arrival with a warm welcome."

He then faded away.

"…well that was-" I started. Suddenly, he re-appeared and put on the absolute scariest face I ever saw, one that reminded me of all my worst fears.

"AND IF YOU DON'T COME… WE'LL GET YOU!!! BOO!!!"

He then disappeared as suddenly and abruptly as he appeared.

"…right," I said, shaking my head. "Well, there goes 5 years of my life."

"M-maybe we should turn back…" Goombario said nervously.

"I'm with him…" Parakarry said.

"What's the matter?" Bombette asked them. "Scared?"

"N-no way!" Goombario stuttered, trying his hardest to look brave.

"Then let's go!" I shouted, running ahead. "Race ya there!"

"You're on!" Bombette laughed, running right beside me.

"W-wait for me!" Goombario said as he ran behind them, keeping his eyes focused on Bombette.

"Y-you think they r-really need us?" Parakarry asked Kooper.

"Yup," Kooper said, walking ahead. "Come on, we don't wanna lose them, do we?"

"No, I guess we don't…" Parakarry muttered, following close behind.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"Alright," I said to the rest of the group, "does everyone remember the plan?"

"I think so," Tutankoopa (he decided to tag along and, once again, everyone but me agreed) said. "We enter the forest from this side, ambush Mario, kill him while he's paralyzed with fright from both the forest and our ambush, then leave and get cookies and milk afterwards!"

"…I never said anything about cookies and milk," I said, "but if it'll motivate you, sure."

"Yipee!" all the other losers shouted.

"Alright," I said, ready to walk into the forest, "does anyone have any questions?"

"I have one," Jr. Troopa asked.

"Yeah?" I asked him.

"How'd we get here?" Jr. Troopa asked. "Last I remember, we were back at the Inn."

I started to say something, then stopped.

"Uh…" I said. "You know, I honestly don't know…"

"It doesn't matter!" King Goomba shouted. "Let's go!"

"Right," I said, shaking my head. "We're off to kill the Dre-er, Mario."

We entered the forest, and I gasped at what I saw. The thing I saw…

…was a bright forest with everything smiling. The cute woodland creatures. The flowers. Even the sun and trees. Everything was smiling and adorable.

"What the heck!?" I shouted. "Are we even in the right freaking forest!?"

"Yeah," George said. "We're in the very little known fun and bouncy side of the forest."

"How the heck would you even know!?" I shouted at him.

"Let's dance in the flowers!" Tutankoopa said. The other idiots, minus George, shouted "Horray!" and began prancing around like idiots.

"Good freaking God…" I said, face-palming myself.

"…wanna leave them here and go off to find them ourselves?" George asked me.

"That's the best idea anyone has ever suggested," I agreed, walking away from the morons with him. "Why do you suddenly care about finding and killing the… Mario?"

"I don't," George shrugged. "But I've heard that there's an old haunted house somewhere in these woods. Old and abandoned = perfect place for hobos to sleep."

"Of course," I sighed.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Those were some pretty freaky flowers back there…" I said to Bombette.

"Don't tell me you're scared," Bombette teased.

"Me?" I asked. "Scared? No way!"

"What do you think you're doing?" a voice from seemingly nowhere asked. A rugged old man jumped from a nearby tree. Bombette screamed and ran behind me.

"Oh, and I'm the scared one?" I teased her.

"Very funny," she said, as everyone else caught up. "He just startled me is all."

"This is Forever Forest…" the ragged man continued. "The path ahead of here is extremely dangerous."

"I kind of gathered," I said, eying a nearby skeleton.

"You'd better go back," the ragged man said.

"Can't," I said. "A scary Boo butler invited us to a mansion deep in the woods and practically threatened to haunt us for the rest of his afterlife if we didn't drop by."

"Um-kay," the man said. "So that's your story. You're invited to Boo's Mansion."

"Boo's Mansion?" I asked. "My, what a creative name."

"You may pass, then," the man said, jumping aside. "Listen carefully… If you want to get through this forest, you have to pay really close attention to your surroundings. If you choose the wrong paths, you'll end up back at the forest edge before you know it. The areas around the correct paths will always look slightly different from the others. Watch carefully for clues. For example, in this area, take a good look at the inner trees as you walk around. In one of them, you'll spot strange, glowing eyes. The exit near that tree is the path you want to take. These clues will be different in other parts of the forest. Watch the inner forest very, very carefully as you go."

"Got it," I said, giving him a thumbs up.

"Good luck," the man said, hopping away. Under his breath, he muttered, "You're gonna need it."

"You know," I said, "there is another way."

"What would that be?" Kooper asked.

"This," I said, holding out the Eldstar Star Card. "Star Card, ACTIVATE!"

I held out the Star Card as I said this. Suddenly, in a flash of light, Eldstar appeared.

"We need to find the way to the Boo's Mansion," I explained to him. "Can you lead us there?"

"I will do my best," Eldstar said, flying forward. "Follow me!"

Sticking close together, we followed Eldstar through the woods.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"Finally!" I shouted in exasperation. "We're now in the scarier part of the woods!"

Everything became darker, the flowers became evil, and even the cute woodland creatures looked scarier… then again, everything looks scarier dead, if you catch my drift.

"So," George said, "where's this house?"

"We have to follow a specific path having to do with a slight difference in the scenery," I said.

"Could you be more specific?" George asked.

"Well-" I started, but then I bumped into a Boo.

"Watch where you're going!" I said to him.

"Sorry!" the Boo said, cowering.

"Who are you, anyway?" George asked the Boo as I got up.

"My name's Boogy," the Boo said. "I was on my way to Sir Starlll's fanfic when-"

"You're in the wrong dream, buddy," I said to him.

"I am?" Boogy asked. "Whoops! Thanks for telling me!"

"Don't mention it," I said. "And I mean that literally. If you tell anyone, I'll kill you."

"Got it!" Boogy said before fading away.

"Haven't I seen that Boo before?" George asked himself.

"Don't know, don't care," I said, continuing forward. "Come on, let's go."

"Shouldn't we do something else?" George asked.

"Why?" I asked him.

"Well," George said, "it's just that this chapter's running a bit short and bland, and-"

I stopped on the spot and turned to him.

"Tell me you didn't just break the fourth wall," I said in a murderous tone.

"...forget what I said," George said.

"Good," I said, turning and continuing forward.

By the way, if you want to live, just pretend that scene up there didn't happen. I mean it. I hate breaking the fourth wall.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"...and here we are," Eldstar said as we came into sight of an old, creepy looking mansion.

"Finally," Parakarry sighed.

"Thanks for the help," I said to him. "Return."

I held out the card, and in yet another flash of light, Eldstar returned to the Star Card.

"Alright," I said, pocketing the Star Card, "let's go."

I walked up to the doors of the Mansion and looked at them. I could almost sence the energy of all the ghosts in it.

"My kingdom for the Poltergust 3000," I sighed.

"What?" Bombette asked me.

"Nothing," I said, shaking my head. "Come on guys. Let's go."

I opened the door, and the five of us entered.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Yeah, not my best chapter, but the next one will be much better. After all, in the next chapter, we'll see plenty of ghosts, get the Super Boots, and meet Bow! Bow fanboys, you may start drooling now. Remember to review!**


	16. Chapter 16: Boots, Boos, and Bow

**Author's Notes: Well, here it is! The Boo's Mansion, not to be confused with Luigi's Mansion, they're two completely different things. Well… enjoy!**

* * *

_**Chapter 16: Boots, Boos, and Bow**_

(Heh… try saying THAT three times fast…)

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

We walked in, taking a look around. As soon as we entered, the Boo Butler appeared again.

"Welcome, sirs and madam!" he said. "My mistress awaits in the highest room. Please go to the third floor. There you will hear all the news of the Star Cards…"

"It had to be the very top…" I muttered to myself.

"I'll see you there…" the Boo Butler said before disappearing again.

"Well," I said, stepping forward and looking around at the house, "this can't be that hard."

"I have an idea!" Parakarry said.

"…Parakarry?" I asked him.

"Okay," he said, "I saw this on TV once. We'll dress up as four teenage kids and a dog, and-"

"No way in Hades," I said to him. "We already had an Indiana Jones reference, we're not having a Scooby Doo reference."

"What's Indiana Jones?" Goombario asked me.

"And Scooby Doo?" Kooper asked.

"…never mind," I sighed. "Let's just go already."

We walked up a staircase to the second floor and looked for a staircase to head to the third floor.

However, there was no staircase to the third floor.

"Aw crap," I said. "Now how are we supposed to reach the third floor?"

Suddenly, a painting with a very nice background suddenly started shaking, making us all jump.

"Hi!" It said. "Did I startle you?"

"Yeah," Bombette breathed, "but we've already been startled a whole lot before now, so it really doesn't matter."

"You want to go up to the third floor, don't you?" the paining asked.

"You read my mind," I said.

"Well," the painting continued, "I'm afraid you'll have to go find whatever's missing from this frame."

"I don't see anything missing," I said, looking at the painting. "In fact, I quite like this painting. The background's very nice."

"Yes but-" the painting started.

"The style _is_ quite nice," Bombette said. "Is that 15th century?"

"No," Kooper said. "I think it's more 14th century."

"The background's nice but-" the painting said.

"No no, I see it more of a renaissance style," I said.

"Isn't that the same as 14th Century?" Kooper asked.

"No," Bombette said. "See, there's a difference between-"

"WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME FINISH!?" the painting shouted. We all stopped talking.

"…there," the painting sighed. "Sorry to yell, but you guys were really taxing my patience. Anyway, if you manage to find what's missing from this painting, I'll let you go upstairs. Mmwaah ha ha ha! Bow is such a harsh Boo, testing her guests like this…"

"What was that?" I asked the painting. "Who's Bow?"

"No one," the painting said. "Just go find what's missing from this painting!"

"…okay then," I said, walking off. "Come on guys, the sooner we find it, the sooner we can get the info about the Star Card."

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"We made it," George said. "The Boo's Mansion."

"Perfect," I said. "Let's go."

"You kiddin'?" George asked me. "I'm leaving right here and now. With my hobo license, I can get a decent discount on food and lodging. So long, sucker!"

He turned to leave, but I wrapped my clawed hand around the back of his neck.

"…on second thought," George said, "I'll stick around with you."

"That's better," I said, pulling my hand away. "Now, here's what we'll do: We'll wait in front of the door, which just so happens to be the only entrance/exit to the mansion. When… _Mario_ and his group comes out, we'll ambush them, kill him, and get the bloody hell out of this God forsaken dream so I can get on with my life."

"And what should we do?" Jr. Troopa asked me.

"You should-AUGH!" I screamed, jumping back. "When did you get here!?"

"We've been here, waiting for you two," Jr. Troopa said, directing toward the others.

"But… when… how…" I stuttered. I then shook my head.

"On second thought," I said, "I don't wanna know. Just keep it down so we can ambush them."

"Aw…" Tutankoopa said. "Does that mean we can't practice out band music?"

"NO YOU CANNOT PRACTICE YOUR BAND-you have a band?" I asked, taken aback.

"This nice old man suggested it," Tutankoopa said, directing toward Goompa, who was beating on a drum, holding the sticks with his mouth.

"I am not a nice old man," Goompa said.

"Then what's your name?" Red Koopa asked.

"I'll tell you," Goompa said nodding toward King Goomba. He began playing the trumpet as Goompa played on the drums.

"Oh please no," I said.

"_They call me Dr. Worm,_" Goompa sung.

"_Good morning, how are you? I'm Dr. Worm._

_I'm interested in things._

_I'm not a real doctor_

_But I…_"

He began wailing on his drums as Red Koopa wailed on his electric guitar.

"_Am a real worm_," Goompa continued._ "I am an actual worm._

_I live like a worm._

_And I like to play the drums._

_I think I'm getting good_

_but I can handle criticism._

_I'll show you what I know_

_And you can tell me if you think I'm getting better on the drums._

_I leave the front door un-locked_

_'Cause I can't hear the door bell._"

"I said to keep it down!!!" I shouted as King Goomba played a trumpet solo.

"_When I get into it,_" Goompa continued to sing, "_I can't tell if you are_

_Watchin' me twirlin' the sticks._

_When I give the signal my friend_

_Rabbi Vole will play the solo._"

Red Koopa began playing an electric guitar solo.

"I thought I said to keep it down, you little…" I said, walking toward them. I was then picked up by King Goomba and thrown into the air, he bouncing me up and down.

"_Someday somebody else besides me will call me by my stage name_," Goompa sung.

"_They will…_"

All the music stopped and the only noise was Goomba singing.

"_Call me Dr. Worm._

_Good morning, how are you? I'm Dr. Worm._

_I'm interested in things._

_I'm not a real doctor_

_but I…"_

Goompa wailed on the drums as Red Koopa wailed on his electric guitar.

"_Am a real worm_," Goompa continued._ "I am an actual worm._

_I live like a worm._

_And I like to play the drums._

_I think I'm getting good_

_but I can handle criticism._

_I'll show you what I know_

_And you can tell me if you think I'm getting better on the drums._

_I'm not a real doctor_

_But they call me Dr. Worm!_"

They ended it with one last duet with the trumpet and the electric guitar. King Goomba threw me into the air, right past the window on the third floor, where I saw a female Boo staring at me with a confused expression. I then screamed as I fell straight down.

"Did… did you see that?" she asked a Boo butler next to her.

"Unfortunately, Madam Bow," the butler said. "I think it would be best if we pretended it never happened."

"Good advice," Bow said, shaking her head.

Meanwhile, I screamed as I hit the ground.

"OW!" I shouted, getting up. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?"

"What was what for?" King Goomba asked.

All the instruments, and Goompa, were gone.

"But… he… you…" I stuttered.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jr. Troopa said.

"…screw it," I said, sitting down. "Just wait for Mario and co."

"That's what we were doing," Tutankoopa said. "Now keep it down or you'll alert Mario that we're here."

My eye twitched.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Did you hear that?" I asked as I pulled on the new boots I got from playing a mini-game with the boos.

"Hear what?" Goombario asked me.

"If I didn't know any better," I said, "I would have though I heard the song 'Dr. Worm' by They Might be Giants playing outside…"

I simply shrugged as I stood up.

"Must be my imagination," I said. "So, how do I work these new boots, anyway? How am I supposed to do that spin-jump thingy?"

"You just gotta press the A button while in mid-jump!" Goompa, who suddenly just appeared there, said.

"How did you…" I started. I shook my head. "Never mind. We'll blast you away as soon as we leave this mansion."

"Horray!" Goompa said, jumping up and down.

"Try just jumping and stomping down on the landing," Bombette said to me.

"Good idea," I said, walking over to a suspicious wooden square in the middle of the room. I did what Bombette instructed.

Fortunately, it worked.

Unfortunately, I fell straight through.

"Ow…" I moaned, getting up.

"Mario!" Goombario called down.

"Are you hurt?" Bombette asked.

"Just a little bruised is all," I said, looking around. I seemed to be in some sort of basement area. "Hey guys, come on down here!"

The other four jumped down into the basement.

"...where'd Goompa go?" I asked.

"He must have dissapeared or something," Bombette said.

"Thank God," I sighed. "For once, he did something I like. Now come on. We better check this place out."

The five of us then began exploring the basement.

"This place must have been fancy before it was deserted and the Boos moved in," I said, running my hand across the wall.

"Do you think the places are spooky because the Boos live here," Kooper asked, "or do you think the Boos live here because the places are spooky?"

We all stopped and thought for a minute.

"…that question's gonna keep me up all night," Bombette said.

"Me to," I said, shaking my head. I felt a crevasse in the wall. Puzzled, I began knocking on it. It sounded… hollow.

"Hey Bombette," I called, "try blowing up this portion of the wall, will you?"

"Sure thing, Mario," Bombette said, walking up to the wall. One explosion later, we fanned the smoke away from our faces and walked into a library.

"Hidden library," I said, looking around. "Sweet."

"Hey," Parakarry said, picking up a flat picture of a Boo. "Check this out! Maybe this is what that painting was missing!"

"Could be," I shrugged. "Let's head back."

After finding some stairs and walking back up to the second floor, we walked up to the painting and placed the picture of the Boo back onto the painting.

"Phew…" the Boo said after he was put back into the painting, moving his arms around. "Ah, that feels better! It's nice to be back inside my frame after so long!"

"I can well imagine," I said, nodding my head.

"All right, then," the Boo said. "I'll help you go to the third floor, okay?"

"Okay!" I said. "Let's go!"

"Jump toward the drawing and I'll take care of the rest," the Boo said.

"Just like Super Mario 64," I said to myself, taking a few steps back. I then dashed forward and dived into the painting. I felt weightless for a second, then I found myself falling out of a second paining and landing on the ground.

"Say hello to Bow for me," the second painting said as the rest of my group jumped out of the second painting as well.

"Sure thing," I said, standing up and dusting myself off. "Come on, guys."

We then walked into a large door nearby. On the other side was a large, blue tinted room.

"Odd," I said, walking into the center.

"Gwah hee haha!" a voice shouted, causing me to jump.

"Man," I said, shaking my head. "You'd think by now I'd be used to voices popping out of nowhere."

"You've finally arrived!" the voice continued. "You took your sweet time, huh?"

"Hey, I resent that!" I said.

"I was testing you to see if you live up to your reputation," the voice continued. "How were the tests? Tough?"

"Not terribly, thank you," I said.

Suddenly, two Boos appeared. One was the Boo Butler we saw earlier, and the other was a green, female Boo with two bows in her hair (that is, if she had hair), an upturned lip, and eye shadow on her eyes. Not too much, but enough to make her look attractive.

"My name is Bow," she said. "I'm glad to finally meet you."

Goombario, Kooper, and Parakarry's mouths all dropped.

"She…" Goombario said.

"…is…" Kooper said.

"…hot," Parakarry finished.

"How can you be attracted to her?" I asked them. "She's not even the same species as you!"

"But she's… hot," Goombario said, his eyes glazing over and his mouth drooling.

Both Bombette and I gave a disgusted sigh.

"I'm Bootler, the butler," the Boo Butler said. "I'm Lady Bow's humble servent."

"…you're a butler, and your name's Bootler?" Bombette asked.

"My parents planned on my being a butler," Bootler explained.

"Ah," I said.

"The reason I asked you here is that I need a favor," Bow said.

"I thought you had some info on the Star Cards," I said, crossing my arms.

"Bootler," Bow said, ignoring me, "give him the rundown."

"Of course, my lady," Bootler said. "Mario, do you know the area near here called Gusty Gulch?"

"Never heard of it," I said.

"A hill rises at the top of the gulch," Bootler continued, "and upon it sits the castle of Tubba Blubba."

"Why do I get the feeling this guy should go on a dieting program?" Bombette asked.

"He's a monster…" Bootler said. "And he eats… us! Ghosts!!!"

"Must not be very filling," I whispered to Bombette.

"I'll say," she whispered back.

"Boos are his favorite food," Bootler said, either not hearing or ignoring the quick conversation between me and Bombette. "Many friends have been eaten! We've tried attacking the evil fiend to save our friends-"

"Let me guess," I interrupted. "But every time has been a futile attempt, and he thwarted you every time?"

"He's just to powerful for us Boos to slow him down even slightly," Bootler said. "He seems invincible. That's why he's known as the Invincible Tubba Blubba."

"Well THAT sucks," I said.

"There is hope, however," Bootler continued. "If the rumors are true, then Tubba Blubba has a secret that he closely guards. And that secret is… probably something that relates to his week point."

"Either that or a fetish," I said. "The weak point's more likely, though."

"So," Bow said, "Mario, I want you to find out his secret and defeat him. You'll do it, won't you?"

"Well-" I started.

"Of course," Bow interrupted, "you'll get a reward for doing us this service. If you beat Tubba Blubba up, I'll give you two things. One…"

She pulled out a Star Card and showed it to me.

"A Star Card!" both Bombette and I gasped. (The other three were still drooling over Bow.)

"What do you think, Mario?" Bow asked, tossing the Star Card to Bootler, who caught it. "Not such a bad deal, is it? You would have had to fight Tubba Blubba to save this Star Spirit anyway, right? This way, you help us Boos, too."

"Wait," I said. "You said TWO things. What's the second?"

"The second," Bow said, putting on a seductive smile and floating very close to me, "is that you get to go on a date with me."

"WHAT!?" both Bombette and I shouted.

"So it's a deal?" Bow asked, trailing a finger down my face.

"N-n-n-now hold on," I said, stepping back. Bombette was glaring at Bow, a genuine "I'm gonna kill you" aura coming from her. "The Star Card is cool, but a date? I don't-"

"It's a deal then," Bow said. "And I'm going with you. I'll help you like no one else can."

"…my lady?" Bootler asked in shock. "What did you say just now? You? At Tubba Blubba's Castle? Quite out of the question! I simply cannot allow you to put yourself in such danger!"

"Listen to the butler and stay here," Bombette growled at Bow.

"Still your tongue, Bootler!" Bow snapped at Bootler. "I've seen too much suffering caused by Tubba Blubba! I wish to see him punished with my own two eyes. Besides, Mario will need me. There's no way he can reach the castle without my powers!"

"Yes I can!" I said at the same time as Bombette said, "Yes he can!"

"Oh…" Bootler said. "alas… Then, Lady, I, Bootler, will accompany you. It is my sworn duty to see that no harm befalls you. The ancestors demand it! I will be at your side always."

"You stop that nonsense!" Bow yelled at Bootler. "I'm not a child anymore! I'll be fine by myself! You wait here for my return."

"La… lady…" Bootler said, hanging his head in shame. He sighed.

"Is this all right, Mario?" Bow asked me seductively, her face only an inch away from mine.

"Uh…" I said, my brain not working at that moment.

"No, it's not!" Bombette said.

"Relax," Bow said to her. "I'll only join up with you until we oust Tubba Blubba. Then, after our date, you can have your boyfriend back."

"She's not my girlfriend!" I said at the same time as she said, "He's not my boyfriend!"

"Oh," Bow said. "Then you won't mind me… taking him for myself, do you?"

"Don't I get a say in this?" I asked.

"No," Bow said. "Now let's go, hot stuff. We have a monster to usurp."

She then dragged me by the hand out of the room. Bombette was breathing heavily, both blushing and furious.

"Wait for us!" the three called after Bow, running after her. They didn't really pay much attention to the conversation, they were to busy staring at Bow.

"I hate that Boo," Bombette growled before running after the rest.

* * *

**Author's Notes: And thus, Bow is with the group! All you Bow fanboys out there can begin drooling now. Anywho, the next chapter will be taking place in Gusty Gulch and, possibly, Tubba Blubba's Castle! The next chapter will be up soon, and please please PLEASE remember to review!**


	17. Chapter 17: The Ghost Gulper

**Author's Notes: Yet another chapter! Woot! Let's do this!**

* * *

_**Chapter 17: The Ghost Gulper of Gusty Gulch**_

(Yet another tongue twister, huh?)

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"They're coming," I said, preparing for an attack. "Prepare yourselves."

"Got it!" Jr. Troopa said.

"Ready!" King Goomba said.

"Any time," Red Koopa said.

"We'll unload 20d damage on their butts!" Tutankoopa said.

"Let's just get this over with," George sighed.

We prepared ourselves to attack. The door opened…

…and a turtle robot crawled out.

"…what?" I asked, picking it up.

"It's actually pretty cute," Jr. Troopa said.

"I just don't understand…" I said, turning it over. On its belly, I saw a digital timer.

"**0:05**," It read. "**0:04**. **0:03**. **0:02**."

"Oh sh-" I started.

_**BOOM!!!**_

It exploded violently, creating an explosion so powerful, it launched us all into the sky.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

I placed my hand on the door to open it, then froze.

"…did you hear that?" I asked.

"Hear what?" Bow asked me.

"Sort of like… an explosion," I said.

"Probably just your imagination," Goombario said, still drooling over Bow.

"…right," I said, opening the door and walking through. The six of us walked over to an old looking gate.

"Go ahead," Bow said, "open it."

Suddenly, two Boos appeared out of nowhere and opened the gate. The minute we stepped through, it became day time.

"How the heck…" I started, looking around.

"So," Bow said. "Mario, we're on our way. Are you scared?"

"Well-" I started.

"Because if you are," Bow said, getting uncomfortably close to me, "I'm right here if you need a hand to hold, hot stuff."

"He's fine," Bombette growled. "Let's just go."

"Excellent idea, miss pinky," Bow said, grabbing me by the hand and dragging me along.

"Miss Pinky!?" Bombette said. "The nerve of that woman! Oh, I am SO going to bomb her into next week…"

"She's so… beautiful…" Goombario said.

"And the way she laughs…" Kooper said.

"The way she holds herself…" Parakarry said.

"You guys disgust me," Bombette sighed. "Come on. We better catch up with them before we lose them."

After a little bit of walking, we came upon a Ghost Town… literally. It was an old, run-down town full of Boos. As soon as we entered, one Boo, this one a tan-ish color, flew up to us.

"Oh!" he said. "Lady Bow! What a surprise, seeing you! You know, Your Ladyship, you really shouldn't come around here. It's dangerous. Tubba Blubba could come here at any time!"

"I know!" Bow said. "I came here to teach that Tubba Blubba a lesson! Bring him on! When was the last time he came through here?"

"Why," the Boo said, "just yesterday, Lady. It was horrible… He… uhg… This time, he… ate Herbert. Oh, it was gruesome! Poor Herbert! He was so dark and depressing! What a terrific Boo!"

"Oh no!" Bow said. "Not Herbert! Ooh, Tubba Blubba… He must be stopped…"

"Who's Herbert?" I asked her.

"I have no idea," she whispered to me. "Just roll with it."

"Listen, everyone!" Bow said, this time in a yell so the whole town could hear. "Don't fear! We're on our way to defeat this Tubba Blubba once and for all! That monster has eaten his last Boo-meal!"

"Oh!" the Boo said. "Lady! Your bravery is inspiring!"

"Yeah," Bombette muttered so only I could hear. "And it has NOTHING to do with the fact that she has Mario with her to do all the work."

It took all my willpower not to laugh.

"But you know he's called the Invincible Tubba Blubba…" the Boo continued. "Please be careful, okay?"

"Yes, I know," Bow said, once again dragging me by the hand. "Come on, Mario! The sooner we beat this guy, the sooner we can go on our date!"

"…date?" the Boo asked, his eye twitching. "Lady Bow is going on a date… with a human?"

"Trust me," Bombette said, "no one is happy with that deal."

With that, she ran back to the rest of the group.

"Hello there!" another Boo said to us. "You're going up to beat Tubba Blubba, right?"

"That's the plan," I said, trying to pull my hand away from Bow. For a ghost, she had a firm grip.

"Yeah!" the Boo said. "Get revenge! He'll never eat another ghost! Never! Especially not…"

Suddenly, everything shook, and all the Boos-minus the Boo that was talking to us and Bow-dissapeared.

"Oh…" the Boo said. "Oh no! Tubba Blubba's coming! Everybody, hide!!! Lady Bow! You have to hide Mario!"

As Lady Bow grabbed onto me, several other Boos grabbed the rest of my group and caused them to vanish. I didn't notice anything different, but when I looked down at my hand, I couldn't see it.

_Okay,_ I thought. _That is SO cool._

"Everything's cool, Lady!" the Bow said as a huge, blue Koopa-like creature walked up to him. "He can't see you! Nope, there's no way Tubba Blubba can see you right now!"

Hearing the sound of the monster's ragged breathing, he slowly turned around to look at it.

"Er…" the Boo said nervously. The monster-I assumed it was Tubba Blubba-grabbed the Boo.

"Mmmm…" Tubba said. "Looks yummy! I need a snack!"

He then simply plopped the Boo into his mouth and swallowed it whole.

"Urp…" he said, patting his stomach. "A little tangy, but good."

He then simply walked away. All the other Boos re-appeared, along with my friends.

"Oh!!" One Boo cried. "Stanley!! Oh, the horror of it all…"

"You know," I said to Bow, "you can let go of me no-AUGH!"

She placed one of her hands on my bottom. I couldn't see her, but I could tell she was grinning.

"NOT where I want your hand…" I said. "Now, please let go so we can become visible again."

"Aw…" Bow said, letting go of me, both of us becoming visible again. "I was having fun…"

"I can see what your problem is now," I said, shaking my head. "This guy is a monster. Tell us where he lives. Maybe we can sneak in and find some sort of weakness."

"He lives in the tower that way," a Boo said, pointing forward. "It's a few minutes' walk from here."

"All right," I said, gripping my hammer. "Let's go."

I ran towards the tower.

"He really IS cute," Bow whispered to Bombette before following. Blushing and her fuse lighting, Bombette followed.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

Little did they know, as they left the town, we fell right on top of an old abandoned building.

"Ow…" Jr. Troopa said, crawling out of the rubble first. "That… hurt."

"What was with that turtle bomb, anyway?" I asked as I got up, shoving the rubble off myself.

"Did you guys like my toy?" Goompa asked me. I jumped.

"Oh come on!" I shouted. "How did you get here so fast!?"

"I flew my pet banana!" Goompa said.

"I love those things!" King Goomba said. "How ripe is yours?"

"Well-" Goompa started.

"Forget it!" I shouted, knocking King Goomba back. "I'll take care of you myself, you annoying excuse for a Goomba!"

I transformed my arm into a sword and dashed at him.

"Hey!" a Boo shouted, knocking me to the ground. "How DARE you attack a defenseless old man!"

"_Defenseless_!?" I shouted. "What the bloody hell are you talking about!? Look at him!"

I pointed at Goompa, who suddenly was in a wheel chair and looked a lot older and more pathetic.

"Why do you want to hurt me, young man?" he asked in a raspy, old voice.

"Oh give me a freakin' break!" I shouted, standing up. "I don't care anymore! Stand aside so I can kill him!"

"You can't beat us!" one Boo said.

"And why's that?" I asked as my group took a few steps back, not wanting to get in the middle.

"Because of this!" all the Boos said simultaneously. Suddenly, they all joined together, creating a huge Boo.

"Aw crap…" I muttered as the giant Boo jumped at me.

"Why are they attacking him?" Goompa asked George, he no longer in a wheel chair.

"They're angry because he decided to attack you," George replied.

"Ah," Goompa said. "That's nice of them."

"I don't think he thinks so," George replied, nodding toward me.

"GET OFF ME, YOU SUNNOVA-" I started.

"Watch your language!" Goompa said. "You're a bad influence on the children!"

"I HATE YOU!" I shouted, rolling out of the way of a ghost blast.

"Such a nice boy," Goompa said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go annoy the heck out of Mario and his friends."

"You go do that," George said, not really paying attention.

"I will!" Goompa nodded, running off.

"YOU IDIOTS!" I shouted, punching the giant Boo. "FOLLOW HIM!!!"

"Nah, I'm good," Jr. Troopa said.

I screamed as I jumped on the giant Boo, beating the living crap out of it. After defeating it, I stormed over toward my group.

"Hi!" King Tutankoopa said cheerfully. After punching him in the face and knocking him unconscious, I turned to my group.

"Follow," I breathed, walking in the same direction Goompa went.

"Someone's in a bad mood," Red Koopa whispered, slinging Tutankoopa over his shoulders and following.

"I HEARD THAT!!!" I screamed at him, still walking.

"Grumpy," Jr. Troopa muttered under his breath.

It took all my willpower not to kill them all right then and there.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Another build-up chapter, I guess. Next chapter takes place in Tubba Blubba's tower. Tune in next time for another exciting chapter of the Legend of the Dream Keeper: The First Dream!**


	18. Chapter 18: Pop Culture References Ahoy!

**Author's Notes: And here we are at Tubba Blubba's tower! Now, let's just see how much we can put into one chapter…**

* * *

_**Chapter 18: Pop-Culture References ahoy!**_

_**

* * *

**_

Enter Pax:

* * *

"So," I said, looking up at the large doors of Tubba Blubba's tower, "this is Tubba Blubba's Tower, huh?"

"Correct," Bow said. "Many a Boo have been gulped down in here…"

"Well," I said, gripping my hammer, "it's time to change that! Let's go!"

I pushed the door open and looked in. In the entry room, I saw strange, UFO like creatures, patrolling it.

"High-Tech security system," I said, mostly to myself.

"That it is," Bombette agreed. "The only way we could sneak past is if we were-"

"Invisible?" Bow interrupted.

"…yes," Bombette growled.

"So," Bow said, "just so we're clear here, you need my help?"

I was afraid from the look on Bombette's face that she would explode right then and there and blow our cover.

"…yes," she said, breathing heavily.

"Quaint," Bow said. "Unfortunately, however, I can only take one person with me at a time to make invisible. I guess that means you'll all have to stay here while Mr. Mario and I go in, huh?"

"Oh," Bombette said, getting right up in Bow's face, "there is no way I'm leaving you alone with-"

"Bombette," I interrupted. "She's right."

"But… but…" Bombette shuddered.

"That's why I have a plan to get us ALL across," I said.

"You have a PLAN?" Kooper asked. This surprised him so much that he temporarily was knocked out of the trance Bow's beauty placed upon him.

"Yeah, I have a plan!" I said. "Is it really that difficult to imagine me thinking things through instead of just winging it?"

Everyone was silent, shuffling their feet and coughing, not making eye contact with me. I sighed.

"Just… forget it," I said. "Now, listen up. Here's the plan…"

_**

* * *

**_

_**One plan that, because of writer's block, I can't think of later…**_

* * *

"That was amazing!" Goombario said.

"I can't believe those sheep were such good fighters!" Bombette said.

"Alright," I said, looking at the sleeping Tubba Blubba, "let's do this. We all remember what's supposed to be done if I get caught, right?"

"Right," the four said, nodding.

"Then let's do this," I said, sneaking up besides Tubba Blubba's bed. I reached a small chest, and from it, I took a key.

"'Ere, 'oo are you?" it squeaked, as it left the chest; and Tubba turned round at once and grabbed me by the neck, before I could duck under the bed.

"What are yer?" he asked.

"Bilbo Baggins, a bur-a hobbit," said poor me, shaking all over, and wondering how to make owl noises before he throttled me.

"A burrahobbit?" said he a bit startled. He was slow in the uptake, and mighty suspicious about anything new to him.

"What's a burrahobbit got to do with my key, anyways?" he asked me.

"Well, you see-NOW BOMBETTE!" I shouted.

"Bomb to your shin!" Bombette shouted, exploding right at Tubba's shin.

"Ow!" Tubba shouted, dropping me. "I'm invincible but that somehow hurts me and causes me to not do anything for a few seconds!"

"Thanks, and RUN!" I shouted, getting up and running out the door, my friends along with me.

We weren't ahead for long, however, because Tubba soon shook himself and ran after us. For a huge guy, he was fast. We soon entered a long hallway with ten doors, five on each side. We all ran into different doors, hoping to confuse Tubba. He chose a door and ran into it. From a back door, I ran out, ran to another door, and ran in. From the door next to that, Tubba ran out. He noticed Bow opening a door, then ran into it as she ran back inside. Bow once again ran out another door, closed it, threw it onto the ground, opened it again, then ran down it. Goompa was driving a racecar out of a door as I opened the door across from it, and he ran into me, slamming me back into the room. Bombette ran out one door and came face to face with Bow. Both glared at each other, but then Parakarry flied out of a nearby door, Tubba chasing after him. Bow and Bombette ran into different doors to run away. Parakarry ran into the door on the floor to get away. When Tubba opened the door, Goompa in the racecar drove out and slammed into him, causing him to fall on the floor. We all came out different doors, ran over Tubba, and dashed out of the hallway and out of the castle.

Upon exiting, we saw a group of Boos, ready on the wait. As soon as the last one of us dashed out, the Boos grouped together and closed and blockaded the door.

"Quick!" one Boo grunted. "Get lady Bow as far away as possible! We'll hold off Tubba as long as we can!"

"Got it!" I said, dashing away with my comrades.

"What's this key go to, anyway?" I asked as we ran.

"There's a lock in an old abandoned windmill!" Bow said. "Maybe Tubba's weakness is in there!"

"Wait…" I said. "If it's old and abandoned, and you were pretty sure this was where his weakness wass, why didn't anyone try breaking a hole in it to get in?"

"Because shut up," was Bow's only reply.

We soon reached the windmill. I shoved the key into the lock, turned it, and threw open the door. Inside was a well, boarded up.

"Going down," I said after pulling the boards off.

We all jumped down, and ran down a long, dark hallway. At the very end, there was a round chamber, and sitting on a platform was what looked like a giant heart with eyes.

"Who goes there!" it asked.

"Just the people who are going to kick your…" Bombette started, then noticed it didn't have a butt. "Um… your lower backside!"

"Nice save," I said.

"Thanks, I thought so," Bombette nodded.

"You just don't know muh true power!" the heart said. Yes, it really said "muh". I can't believe it either. "I may be the only part of Tubba that can be hurt, but I'm also incredibly powerful! Take THIS!"

It jumped into the air, all impressive-like…

…then fell to the ground, flat on its face.

We all stood there, staring at it, until I walked up and hit it with my hammer.

"OW!" the heart shouted. "…you… you MEANIE HEAD!"

It then hopped out of the chamber and out of the well, crying.

"I'm starting to miss the Koopa Bros.," I said as I followed at a walking pace. "At least they put up a fight and weren't wimps."

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"Finally," I said as we reached the tower. "We can ambush them and-why are all those Boos standing at the door?"

"No clue," George said. "If you'll need me, I'll be a few steps over that way."

"Why?" I asked as George stepped away a few steps.

"Because judging on how that door's shaking and how all the Boos are using all their power to keep that door closed," George said, "I'd say something's going to ram right through a path that you're standing on in 3… 2… 1…"

As if on cue, a giant creature (I learned later his name was Tubba Blubba) came charging out of the door. The last thing I remember is seeing him charge toward us, feeling a hard hit to my head as he came close, then I blacked out.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

When we stepped outside, we saw Tubba Blubba run up to the heart.

"We must fuse back together!" the heart said. "If we're together, we'll become unstoppable!"

Then, the heart jumped into Tubba's mouth and he ate it.

It took all my willpower not to throw up.

"Ha ha ha!" Tubba laughed. "Let's see you take me on now!"

"With pleasure!" I said, gripping my hammer hard. I ran up to him and smacked him to the ground.

"Ow!" Tubba shouted. "Oh… I guess with my heart back in me, I'm back to my old weak self again…"

I jumped onto him and continued to slam him with my hammer.

"This is for all the Boos you've eaten over the time you've become a menace!" I shouted between hits.

"Yeah!" Bow said. "Hurt him like we used to hurt him when he was a wimp!"

My hammer stopped right before it hit Tubba again.

"…what?" I asked, turning to her.

"Well," Bow said, "he was always the weakest around, he always kept to himself, so we beat him up regularly for fun."

"…are you SERIOUS!" I asked, getting off of Tubba.

"Well we didn't know he would ever fight back!" Bow said. "He always kept to himself, and the worst he ever did was mutter about how he would one day get revenge on us all!"

"…see," I said, "in Columbine, they call these WARNING SIGNS!"

"So?" Bow asked with a shrug. "We had fun beating him up. Now that your job's done, we'll give you the Star Card, you can be on your way, and-what are you doing with that hammer?"

I marched toward Bow with my hammer held tightly in my hand.

"M-Mario," Bow shuddered, "let's be reasonable here. I'm sure-OW! OH STARS, THAT HURTS! OW, MY HEAD!"

As I beat Bow repeatedly with my hammer, everyone winced at each blow (except for Bombette, who was grinning the whole time).

"Ow…" Tubba moaned, sitting up. "…why is Mario beating up Bow?"

"He's standing up for you," Bombette said.

"…really?" Tubba asked. "He's… showing me kindness?"

"Of course," Bombette said.

And then in the Mushroom Kingdom, they say… Tubba's heart grew three sizes that day.

**

* * *

**

Author's Note: I am SO sorry it took me so long to post. I blame procrastination, Legend of Zelda, and writer's block. Anyway, I'll try to post at least every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So… yeah.


	19. Chapter 19: The Story of Nottaboo

**Author's Note: Another chapter! Let's go.**

_**

* * *

**_

Chapter 19: The Story of Nottaboo

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Now," I said, my arms crossed, "say it."

"Fine," Bow said, picking up her beat up body. "Everyone, we're going to stop beating up Tubba Blubba."

"And?" I asked.

"…and we're all going to be nicer to him from now on," she finished.

"That's better," I said. "Now, our deal?"

"Right…" Bow said. "Bootler?"

Bootler tossed me the third Star Card.

"All right!" I said, holding it up. "Three down, four to go!"

"Looks like you three will have to live without gawking over Bow," Bombette said.

"Meh," Parakarry said. "We're cool with that."

"We get bored easily and move on to another hot woman who we'll drool over," Kooper said.

"Then we'll just repeat the process!" Goompa said.

"…you sicken me," Bombette and I said simultaneously.

"Well," I said, pocketing the Star Card, "let's get going."

I turned to the exit.

"Mario," Bow said. I turned to face her.

"Listen…" she said, shuffling her tail. "I know I haven't been the most… pleasant of people, but I'm sure I could still be of use on your quest. So… if you will… may I join you?"

"…you're lucky that you have a useful ability, and that I believe in giving people second chances," I said. "Welcome to the team."

"Thank you!" Bow said. "I'm sure-"

"Though if you try to hit on me again, you're out," I said.

Bow looked taken aback, but she reluctantly nodded.

"Alright," she said.

"Good," I said, turning back around. "Let's go."

While I walked ahead along with Goombario, Kooper and Parakarry, Bow stuck her tongue out at Bombette and ran to catch up with me. Bombette's fuse lit, though she managed to keep her temper under control as she caught up.

_**

* * *

**_

Enter Coron:

* * *

"Is he dead?" King Goomba's voice asked.

"Dunno," Red Koopa said. "Tutankoopa, try poking him."

My eyes still closed, I grabbed the stick he was trying to poke me with and broke it in half.

"Oh…" I said, sitting up. "How long have I been out?"

"Not too long," George shrugged. "You were knocked out when that giant guy rammed into you."

"And Mario and co.?" I asked as I got up. "Where are they? And where's Jr. Troopa?"

"They both entered the forest," Tutankoopa said.

"Fine," I sighed. "Come on, let's go after them."

"Wait!" a voice said behind us. We turned to see a Boo wearing a black cape fly over to us.

"Are you the group of people who hurt that innocent old man and wanted to kill Mario?" he asked.

"He wasn't an-" I started, then took a deep breath.

"Yes," I said through gritted teeth. "Yes we are."

"Excellent," the Boo said. "You see, I have reason to destroy Mario as well. I am… Nottaboo."

We were all silent.

"But…" Red Koopa said. "You look like a Boo."

"I am a Boo," the Boo said.

"But you just said…" King Goomba said.

"My name is Nottaboo," the boo explained. "I didn't say I was 'Not, a, boo,' I said I was Nottaboo. One word."

"Ah," we all said simultaneously.

"Your parents must have had one heck of a sense of humor," George said.

"You have no idea," Nottaboo said.

"Why do you want to kill Mario, anyway?" I asked.

"You see," Nottaboo said, "it all started a long time ago…

"I've been in love with Bow as long as I can remember. Every day, I watch her float through town. I've even had the pleasure of speaking with her on several occasions. I love the way she laughs, the way she carries herself… every part of her is just another reason for me to love her.

"Every day, I've been building up the courage to talk to her and tell her how I feel. I was certain she felt the same way about me, she had to. I see the way she looks at me, the way she talks to me. She must feel the same way. I got up all my courage, and was ready to talk to her, then… he came.

"I only caught a glimpse of the two together, but I can tell she's madly in love with him. She would do anything to have him. My heart felt like it shattered into a thousand pieces. It was then I figured it out: Mario must have used the mystical powers of the Star Cards to hypnotize Bow and make her think she's in love with him. So, I must destroy Mario so that the spell can be broken and Bow and I can be married."

We all stared at him.

"Listen," I said, "I would like to say you could join… actually, that's a lie, I usually don't want anyone to join this stupid team, they just invite themselves. But, of all the people we have, we don't have anyone who's COMPLETELY INSANE."

"What are you talking about?" Nottaboo asked. "All I want to do is murder Mario and enslave Bow so she'll never leave me again. How is that possibly insane?"

His eye twitched.

"…right," I said, backing away a tiny bit. "Well then, I guess we better get going… Come on, before he does something crazy…"

This last part I whispered as I pushed the others away with me. Nottaboo suddenly appeared in front of us, though.

"So can I join?" he asked, he suddenly holding a knife. "Because if I can't join, I'd have to kill everyone in sight until I kill Mario, and I would start with you, the ones who crushed my dreams."

He gave a crazy laugh as he swung his knife around.

"Coron?" Red Koopa asked. "I'm scared."

"I am too," I whispered. "There's really only one thing I can do."

"Alright," I said, turning to Nottaboo. "You can join. But you have to be supervised at all times and, if needed, put on a leash."

"Just like I do with Bow in my role plays!" Nottaboo said.

"Role plays?" King Goomba asked.

"Yeah," Nottaboo said. "I take random Boos outside, drag them into my house, dress them up as Bow, and pretend they're her! Then, to make sure they're quiet, I kill them afterwards. It's just a fun little pastime that everyone does."

He gave another insane laugh. Keeping him in front so we could keep an eye on him, we continued forward, scared out of our minds.

**

* * *

**

Author's Note: Wow… Nottaboo turned out more insane than I originally thought… he's so insane, I couldn't even fit Goompa into the same chapter! Well, the next chapter's up Wednesday! Remember to review, everyone!


	20. Chapter 20: The Terrible Toy Box

**Author's Note: *Insert witty author note here***

_**

* * *

**_

_**Chapter 20: The Terrible Toy Box (why do I get the feeling this name's copyrighted?)**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"We're almost out of the woods," I said. "But we're not out of the woods yet! …you know, the figurative woods."

"We get it," Kooper said.

"Hey, who's that?" Parakarry asked, pointing ahead. Suddenly, Jr. Troopa jumped out.

"Ha!" he said. "Mario! I'm here to destroy you… again!"

"You again?" Goombario, Kooper, Bombette and I sighed.

"Who's he?" Parakarry asked.

"Looks like just a cute little egg… boy… thing," Bow said.

"Just shows how little you know!" Jr. Troopa said. "Take… THIS!"

He placed a spike on his shell head and ran at me, screaming. I simply stepped out of the way and he charged right passed me. He kept running until he ran into the bushes, heading away.

"Seriously," Bow said, "who was he?"

"Just a kid who can hold one heck of a grudge," I sighed, continuing onward. "Come on, we've been up for at least an entire day. I can't wait to get back to town so I can finally sleep on a nice, warm bed and-WHAT THE HECK!"

We all saw Shy Guys-cute little guys wearing masks-were all over the place, stealing stuff from people, chasing people around, etc.

"Oh, of course," I sighed. "Come on, guys. We need to beat these dudes."

Together, we ran forward, beating down the Shy Guys.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"…and then I cut open her arm, rubbing the warm blood all over my-" Nottaboo started.

"OKAY, WE GET IT!" I shouted.

"Remind me never to ask about how his 'Role Playing' experiences again," Red Koopa said, his eyes wide.

We heard the sound of someone screaming.

"Get ready," I said, getting into a battle stance.

Suddenly, out of the bushes came…

Jr. Troopa, screaming and running forward. I gave a sigh as I transformed my hand into a shield, stopping Jr. Troopa in his tracks.

"OW!" he shouted. "Jeeze, that hurt!"

"Did you find Mario?" I asked, turning my hand back into a hand… claw… thing.

"And more importantly, Bow?" Nottaboo asked.

"Yeah, I-who are you?" Jr. Troopa asked.

"I'm Nottaboo," Nottaboo said.

"But," Jr. Troopa said, "you look like a-"

"His name is actually 'Nottaboo', one word," I said quickly. "He's here because he wants Bow all to himself so he wants to kill Mario."

"Really?" Jr. Troopa asked.

"Well, that's the short version," George said. When he saw that Nottaboo wasn't looking, he mouthed "Completely insane" to Jr. Troopa while pointing to Nottaboo.

"Excuse me, sir," Jr. Troopa said, tugging on Nottaboo's cape. "Just how much do you care for Bow?"

I sighed, then used a handy Nightmare Power of mine: I turned off my hearing.

Yeah, I can do that. Jealous?

Anyway, I continued forward, and by the looks on everyone's faces, I could tell Nottaboo was being very descriptive on how much he was obsessed with-er, "loved" Bow.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"After them!" I shouted, running after a group of Shy Guys we had just beaten away from an old Toad lady. They all ran into a strange house. I threw open the door and entered…

…only to find the house completely empty.

"Huh?" I asked, looking around.

"How could all of those Shy Guys disappear out of thin air?" Goombario asked.

"Maybe there's a hidden passage around here somewhere…?" Kooper suggested.

"But where-" I started.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" Goompa shouted, jumping out of nowhere. "You're our one millionth customer!"

"Of course," I sighed. "You again."

"That's right!" Goompa said. "And if you answer this question correctly, you'll be given passage into the world of the Shy Guys!"

"Thanks," I said, "but I think we'll pass. Believe it or not, I really don't trust the words of an insane old fart."

"Oh come on!" Goompa said. "Please?"

"No," I said.

"Please?" Goompa asked again.

"No," I repeated.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"No?"

"Please. Wait, shoot!"

"Yay!" Goompa shouted. I silently cursed myself for falling for the old Loony Toon gag.

"Alright!" Goompa said, and spotlights suddenly appeared from nowhere, shining around. "Here is your question!"

The "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" song played as the spotlights changed color and shined on Goompa.

"…do you wear boxers? Or briefs?" Goompa asked.

"…what kind of question is that?" I asked.

"If you want to enter the Shy Guy's base," Goompa said, "answer the question!"

I sighed.

"Fine," I said. "Boxer-briefs. Not to tight around the waist, but still nice to wear."

"You are correct, sir!" Goompa said.

"Wait a minute…" Bow said. "How do you know what kind of underwear Mario's wear-"

"Here is your prize!" Goompa said before dropping a Toy Box into the room.

"…a toy box?" Bombette asked. "That's it? I thought you said you would show us passage into the Shy Guy's world!"

"I did!" Goompa said. "Look inside the box."

Raising an eyebrow, I opened the lid and looked in the toy box.

"Wow," I said, my voice echoing in the toy box. "This thing's deep. Deeper than a small toy box should be."

I leaned farther into the box… farther… farther…

Then, Goompa headbonked my butt, pushing me into the incredibly deep box.

"MARIO!" Bombette shouted, jumping into the box as well.

"I have to protect Mario!" Goombario said, diving into the box.

"There's no way I'm leaving Mario alone with HER!" Bow said, jumping into the box.

Kooper and Parakarry looked at each other, then shrugged simultaneously.

"Meh," Kooper said. "What the heck?"

"Might as well," Parakarry nodded.

Together, the two of them jumped into the box.

"YOU'RE WELCOME!" Goompa shouted into the box before closing it.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"Whoa," Red Koopa said. "What happened here?"

We saw Toad Town, completely wrecked.

"Looks like a tornado hit this place," Jr. Troopa said.

"Shy Guys, actually," Tutankoopa said. "Only they could do this much damage."

"You've never seen a wild Nightmare if you think this is a lot of damage," I said under my breath.

"You say something?" King Goomba asked.

"Oh… nothing, nothing," I said. "Come on, we need to track down Mario."

We walked through the ruined town for awhile, then came upon a familiar face.

"Howdy!" Goompa said.

"You again?" I sighed. "What do you want?"

"Nothing, really," Goompa shrugged. "I just let Mario and co. into the home of the Shy Guys, which is in that exact house over there. Well, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go make out with a yam pie. Bye!"

He walked off.

"…huh," George said. "Goompa's actually being HELPFUL for a change."

"Hold your horses," I said. "Remember the last time he 'helped' us? I'm not too crazy to go jumping into uncharted territory on his word."

"Still," Red Koopa said, "it wouldn't hurt to check it out."

"…fine," I said. "But we'll send in Jr. Troopa first, in case the place is booby trapped."

"Yeah!" Jr. Troopa said. "…wait, what?"

I threw open the door, threw Jr. Troopa into the house, then shut in closed and gave a listen to the inside.

"Hey!" Jr. Troopa's voice said. "It's a Toy Box! Cool! Hey, this thing's pretty deep… deeper than a small toy box should be-AUGH!"

The sound of his screaming slowly faded away, as if he fell down a very deep hole. I carefully peeked inside. All that was there was a toy box. I crept up to it and opened it. It was indeed VERY deep.

"This must be a portal into the Shy Guy's world," I said. "Alright, Nottaboo, you go in first."

"BOW WILL BE MINE!" he screamed before jumping into the box. Then George, Red Koopa, Tutankoopa and I used all our strength to shove King Goomba into the toy box. Then went in Red koopa, then Tutankoopa, then George. It was just me, looking into the box.

"Say your prayers, Dream Keeper," I said to myself. "We're coming for you."

With that, I jumped into the toy box.

**

* * *

**

Author's Note: Well, that's it for today's chapter. Until Friday, everyone!


	21. Chapter 21: Goompa saves the Author

**Author's Note: And here we are in the Shy Guy ark. I have NO idea how long/short this ark will be. Maybe I'll fly through it, maybe it'll be a long and epic ark. We'll never know… maybe three chapters… well, here it is.**

* * *

_**Chapter 21: Goompa saves the author from writer's block**_

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

I fell for quite a while. As I fell, I saw random things, such as Jack-in-the-boxes, board games, etc.

"Talk about an Alice in Wonderland rip-off…" I said to myself.

_**THUMP!**_

I landed, face first, on the ground. I looked up to see a sight of horrors.

"My God…" I said.

My friends soon landed near me.

"Mario!" Bombette said. "Are you al-"

Bow slammed her out of the way.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Look," I said, pointing forward. They looked, and gasped when they saw…

…a real-life toddler's show.

We all screamed.

"Hello, friends!" a giant gingerbread man said, giving me a hug. "I love you!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME, FROSTED FREAK!" I shouted, kicking him away.

"Love makes the world go 'round!" a grown man with a baby head said, hugging a giant orb with a face.

"GOOD GOD, SOMEONE MAKE IT STOP!" Bombette shouted.

Suddenly, from the ceiling dropped…

"Goompa!" we all shouted.

"So," Goompa said to the things, "we meet again for the first time for the last time."

"So, Goompa," a giant ninja cat said, "it's time to see which one of us shall live."

"May the best creature of utter insanity win," Goompa said. He then screamed as he ran forward.

A Jack-in-the-box jumped out at Goompa. He jumped onto it and flew into the sky, where upon he grabbed onto a giant butterfly. He flew it into a group of doll people, where he jumped away as it exploded. He landed in the middle of a group of purple dinosaurs.

"Let's be friends!" they said, holding out their arms for hugs and walking toward him.

"DIE, MUDUH TRUCKUHS!" Goompa shouted, spinning on his head and shooting out ninja stars at them. Each one imbedded themselves into a purple dinosaur, killing them. Road runners with huge, adorable eyes ran toward him. He ran at an equally fast speed, running on the walls. He jumped from the wall and landed on a chandelier, unlatching it and dropping it on a candy bomb, causing a HUGE explosion and killing every adorable young character in that area. He got up and pulled out a candy cane, shooting out bullets of gumdrops at the roadrunners.

As all this was happening, we snuck away, eyes wide.

"This is going to scar me for life," Goombario said.

"He's your grandfather," I said.

"No," Goombario said. "He disowned me, remember?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot," I said as a blue puppy crashed into a wall nearby. We walked out of a nearby doorway and out of the area.

* * *

**Author's Notes: *Slams head on keyboard* WHY. CAN'T. I. THINK. OF. ANY. GOOD. MATERIAL! I MEAN, HONESTLY! *Sigh* I know this is, by far, my shortest chapter, but hey, next chapter introduces Watt, so that's cool. Until next time! ...now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to beat back my writer's block/procrastination with a sledge hammer.**


	22. Chapter 22: WATTaya Want From Me?

**Author's Note: Finally, we've gotten to the chapter with Watt! Let's do it, everyone!**

_**

* * *

**_

_**Chapter 22: WATTaya Want From Me? (oh God, that's terrible…)**_

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

I landed on my feet near the idiots. They all stood, gawking at something.

"What are you…" I started, then turned to see what they were looking at. It looked like a battle field, with adorable little forest animals and candy people sprawled on the ground, dead.

"Oh my God," George said.

"What could have done this?" Tutankoopa asked.

Written on a nearby wall in red icing was a single message:

"Goompa was here. :P"

"Oh that figures," I sighed. "Let's go, this smell is starting to make me nauseous."

"The smell of the dead animals?" King Goomba asked.

"No," I said. "The smell of strawberry icing. I hate that stuff."

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"That Shy Guy really wasn't that bad," Goombario. "Fat, but not bad."

"I had no idea he could run that fast," Kooper said.

We walked into a new room. As soon as we did, it became pitch black.

"Can someone turn on a light?" I asked.

In front of me was a very faint light.

"That's better," I said. "…wait, where's that light coming from?"

There was a tapping noise on the light, and it expanded to reveal a humanoid creature holding a lantern with an electric looking light in it.

"Mario!" he said. "Beware, for I am about to kill you!"

"…and you're telling me ahead of time why?" I asked.

"Um…" he said. "Er… Shut up, you're stupid!"

The light faded into a tiny glimmer again.

"Let's do this!" Bombette said, lighting her fuse. "Even if we're in the dark, we can find you and beat you down!"

I pulled out my hammer and ran forward with her.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

We entered a white room, and in the middle of it was a little kid sitting on a chair.

"How did we get here?" I asked, looking around.

"I told you we should have taken a left at that fork in the waffle!" Red Koopa said.

"Hey there, little guy," Tutankoopa said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm hiding from Daddy," the boy said. "He got mad."

"_Redrum!_" he said in a gritty voice, bending his index finger.

"…right," I said. "I've seen this movie, let's get out of here…"

I turned only to face a butler that just appeared there.

"Please don't leave, sir," he said. "We would be very lonely."

"Play with us," twin girls in pink dresses said, they suddenly appearing near me. Suddenly, a hole was chopped in the door, and a man's face poked in.

"Here's Johnny!" he said with a crazy grin.

"This Toy Box is even crazier than Nottaboo's thoughts!" King Goomba said.

"For once, I agree with you!" I said, transforming both my arms into swords and dashing toward the man.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

I heard the sound of a fist being swung as I rolled forward. I got up on my knees and swiped my hammer close to the ground, hoping to hit his feet and knock him down. I missed, and I felt him slam into me. I grunted as I shook the stars out from my eyes. I saw the faint light of the lantern he was holding.

"Only got one shot…" I muttered, holding up my hammer. I threw it at the light. It spun as it flew through the air, and smacked right into the lantern. It cracked, then with a shattering sound, the lantern broke open. Out of it came… a tiny, electric creature with a pacifier?

"Horray!" it said in a cute little voice. "I'm free!"

It then turned to the creature. The light let off from him was enough to light up the entire room.

"You meanie head!" it said. "You take me away from my mommy, and you shove me into a tiny lamp! For that, I'm gonna…"

It's entire being shook. I felt the hair on the back of my neck bristle and, suddenly, it shot a HUGE bolt of electricity at the monster, frying it. It was then knocked out.

"…wow," I said, looking at the fried monster in shock (no pun intended). "You're… you're a powerful little sucker."

"Thanks!" the creature said. "My name's Watt! Thanks for freeing me, mister!"

"You're welcome," I said. "So… um… what gender are you, anyway?"

"Can't you tell?" Watt asked.

"Um…" I said.

"Mario," Bombette scolded, "it's rude to ask someone their gender!"

"…right," I said. "Anyway, why were you in that thing?"

"That bad man kidnapped me and shoved me in there!" Watt said. "He's a meanie head for doing that!"

"Yes he is," I said. "Er… that was quite a powerful bolt you used there."

"Oh, that?" Watt asked. "That was nothing! You should see what my mommy can do!"

"…alright," I said. "Um… Watt, was it? Would you like to join our group? We could certainly use you on our team. You're powerful, can light up the darkest rooms, and-"

"Oh thanks!" Watt said, getting close to me for a hug. Unfortunately, as soon as it touched me, I was electrocuted.

"Oh, sorry!" Watt said, pulling away.

"It's fine," I said, wavering. "Hey, does anyone else smell burning metal? Wow, everything's tinted blue. I can taste air! Unconscious."

I then fell unconscious.

"…is he going to be okay?" Watt asked.

"He survived explosions and Bow," Kooper said. "He'll survive this."

"Hey!" Bow said.

Bombette snickered.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"Phew!" King Goomba said, leaning against the wall. "I think we lost 'em."

"Good," I sighed. "First that crazy man, then the Tommy Knockers, and then the Super Flu. What next?"

"Boo!" Goompa said, jumping out of nowhere. "I'm a hunchback who's here to kill you because you wrote an excellent book called 'One-o-clock Jump'! I'm also going to kill your wife who writes child's books and your genius son!"

We all stared at him.

"…that's Dean Koontz, not Steven King," I said.

"Well excuse me!" Goompa said. "We can't be perfect all the time, you know!"

With that, he walked off.

"Talk about a lame way to end the chapter," George muttered.

"Okay, haven't we done enough damage to the fourth wall already!" I snapped. "Let's just leave it alone, alright!"

"Fine," the rest of the team muttered.

"…I hope the writer makes longer, more epic chapters," Tutankoopa muttered.

What I did next was un-printable and very bloody.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Seriously, does anyone know Watt's gender? Well, until next time, everyone!**


	23. Chapter 23: Play Date of DOOM

**Author's Notes: And here's another one! Enjoy, everybody!**

_**

* * *

**_

_**Chapter 23: Play Date of DOOM!**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Whoa!" I said, drowning in a sea of Shy Guys. "Watt, help!"

"Sure thing, boss!" Watt said, sending out a storm of electricity, zapping all the Shy Guys and knocking them out.

"Phew…" I said, sitting up. "Thanks, Watt."

"You're welcome!" Watt said, lighting up the room with its electricity.

"…hey, there's a crack over there in the wall," I said, pointing over to said crack.

"That's my cue!" Bombette said, walking over to and blowing up the crack.

"Thanks, Bombette!" I said, giving her the thumbs up as I entered the hole.

On the other side of the hole was a huge room, full of Shy Guys. In the middle was a very large tank, with a Shy Guy on top of it, wearing a general's outfit.

"Halt!" he said. "Mario! We have been ordered by Bowser to destroy you!"

"Yeah, I kind of gathered that," I said. "Seeing as you're all aiming your weapons to me and you're al Shy Guys, who generally work for Bowser."

They were silent.

"…you know, you're not really supposed to think about this kind of stuff this hard," the general Shy Guy said.

"Are we going to fight or not?" Bombette asked, getting into battle stance.

"We're going to fight, of course!" the general said, getting into the large tank he was standing on.

"I wouldn't worry too much," I said. "The last two boss battles haven't been very challenging. I don't have much faith in this battle."

"I'll say," Goomba said. "How much do you want to bet those guns will fire marshmallows?"

"And the tank's probably made of cardboard!" Bow said as we all started laughing.

"Oh, and they'll probably run crying for their mommies as soon as we just hit them once!" Bombette laughed.

"Yeah," I laughed. "And-"

Suddenly, their iron-hard tanks and regular foot soldiers started shooting bullets at us.

"HOLY CRAP!" I shouted as I dived out of the way.

"Do not underestimate our grand army, Mario!" General Shy Guy cried as he continued firing bullets at us through the tank.

We dove behind an over-turned canoe (don't ask us how that got there), being protected by the bullets for some odd reason.

"We won't survive for more than five minutes if they keep firing at us!" Kooper said.

"We should spend our last moments… wisely, then," Bow said, rubbing a finger down my chest seductively.

"There's a kid here!" I said, backing away as far as I could and pointing at Watt.

"Oh…" Bow said, sighing.

"I think I can do something," I said as Bombette glared at Bow. "Hold on."

I pulled out the third Star Card and stood up, facing the army.

"Star Card, ACTIVATE!" I shouted, pointing it into the air. It glowed, and the third Star Spirit, the one with the mustache, came out.

"Stand back, Mario!" he said. "PK… STAR STORM!"

He raised his hands into the air, and it suddenly began storming down falling stars, destroying all that it hit, except for the one tank that General Shy Guy was in.

"…PK Star Storm?" I asked. "Honestly? Yeah, REAL ORRIGINAL, MIYAMOTO!"

"Why are you shouting?" Parakarry asked. "And who's Miyamoto?"

"Oh… nothing," I sighed. "Wait a second… the tank wasn't hurt at all!"

"That's right, Mario!" General Shy Guy said as the Star Spirit returned to his Star Card. "This tank is impenetrable! Absolutely nothing short of an electrical shortage can stop it!"

"…did you say, electrical shortage?" I asked, looking to Watt.

"Leave it to me!" it said, dashing toward the tank.

"H-hey, what are you doing?" General Shy Guy asked.

"You've been a big meanie to my new friends!" Watt said. "For that…"

Watt charged up so much electricity into itself, I began to feel my clothes pull toward it.

"Oh… crap," General Shy Guy said.

Watt released a HUGE bolt of electricity, one so huge that it temporarily blinded me and made every hair on my body stand up on end! When I could finally see again, I saw that the tank was in smoldering ruins, and General Shy Guy was sitting in the middle of the ruins, looking charred.

"Was that good enough, Mr. Mario?" Watt asked me.

"That was… that was GREAT, Watt!" I said, rubbing my still-numb eyes. "Well, general, it looks like we've got you cornered!"

"As if!" General Shy Guy said, standing up. "You may have destroyed my tank, but take a look at… THIS!"

He pulled out a remote and pushed the button. Suddenly, a huge robot rose from the ground.

"My greatest invention!" he said. "One push of this button will cause this robot to come out and fight you!"

He pushed a button on the remote…

…

…

…

"…why isn't this working?" General Shy Guy asked, pushing the button again multiple times. "The only way this could be over-ridded is if someone was inside controlling it manually!"

"Did someone say Goompa?" Goompa's voice asked from a speaker on the robot.

"No, I don't believe I-who's Goompa?" General Shy Guy asked, turning to face the robot. "And WHO IN THE WORLD HIJACKED MY ROBOT!"

"Goompa's the name, insanity's my game!" Goompa's voice said. "Hey, what's this button do?"

Suddenly, the robot shot out a fist, destroying a section of the wall.

"That's our cue!" Goombario said, dashing to the exit.

"I'll be taking that!" I said, snatching the fourth Star Card from General Shy Guy and ran with my friends.

"HEY!" General Shy Guy shouted after me. "Come back here with my Star Card!"

As soon as we all ran through the way, however, a chunk of the wall crashed down and blocked General Shy Guy from leaving, al le Goompa.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"What was that?" George asked as everything began shaking.

"How should I know?" I asked, clenching my fists.

"…hey, look up ahead!" Red Koopa said.

"IT'S MARIO!" King Goomba shouted.

Ahead was, indeed, the Dream Keeper and his group running toward us.

"Finally!" I said, transforming my arms into swords. "After all this time, I can finally-"

"Hey-there-so-sorry-but-the-place-is-about-to-collapse-I'm-sorry-I'll-have-to-put-a-rain-check-on-that-epic-battle-okay-thanks-bye!" The Dream Keeper shouted as he and his group dashed past us.

"…he totally blew us off!" Tutankoopa said as they ran farther and farther down the hall and away from us.

"Well that was rude!" Jr. Troopa said.

"Wait a second…" George said. "Did he say this place was about to collapse?"

As if to answer that question, a chunk of the ceiling landed near us.

"Let's get out of here!" I shouted, running down the hall.

"Hey… where'd Nottaboo go?" Red Koopa asked as we ran.

"Hopefully he's stuck somewhere in the halls and will be squished when this place collapses!" I replied.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

After about a minute of running, we saw Coron, Jr. Troopa, King Goomba, Red Koopa, Tutankoopa, some weird Boo with a cape, and a hobo standing in the corridor, turning their heads to face us.

"Oh Stars, not Nottaboo…" Bow said, looking genuinely scared after seeing the Boo.

"Oh God, not Coron!" I said. "He probably wants to have some sort of epic battle with me or something! We don't have time for this!"

"Finally!" Coron said, transforming his arms into swords. "After all this time, I can finally-"

"Hey-there-so-sorry-but-the-place-is-about-to-collapse-I'm-sorry-I'll-have-to-put-a-rain-check-on-that-epic-battle-okay-thanks-bye!" I shouted as my friends and I dashed past them.

"You totally blew them off!" Parakoopa said.

"Half of them did deserve it, though…" Bombette said.

"Now let's get outta-" I started, though I was interrupted by Bow's scream.

"HE'S FOLLOWING US!" she shrieked. I saw behind us the Bow with a cape, who I assumed to be Nottaboo.

"YOU STOLE BOW FROM ME, YOU {this word is too vulgar for me to type}," Nottaboo shouted, holding a knife over his head. "DIE!"

"Cover your ears, everyone!" I shouted as I pulled out the second Star Card. "Star Card, ACTIVATE!"

The cute Star Spirit with a bow appeared in a flash of light.

"Put that crazy Boo to sleep, please!" I said, covering my own ears. I couldn't hear her as I was covering my ears and humming, but I could tell she was singing a lullaby. After a few seconds, Nottaboo dropped dead asleep behind us. The Star Spirit stopped singing (try saying that three times fast).

"Thanks!" I said. "Return to the Star Card!"

In another flash of light, the Star Spirit was back in her Star Card. I pocketed it.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"AUGH!" Red Koopa shouted, jumping back from the wall that just collapsed in front of us, blocking our way forward. Another wall collapsed behind us, blocking the way back as well.

"We can't escape!" Jr. Troopa said.

"It's all over!" Tutankoopa cried.

"…as much as I hate to do this… everyone, gather close to me!" I shouted. They all did so.

"Pray to whatever deity you choose that this'll work!" I said, pointing my hand upwards and transforming it into a shield that covered all of us.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Now what?" Bow asked as we reached the spot we entered this bizarre world from. AKA, a dead end. I looked around for something, anything that would help us.

"Parakarry and Bow, you can both fly," I said. "But I doubt you could carry all of us back up that far…"

It was then I spotted a nearby trampoline.

"There!" I shouted, running to it. "I hope this works!"

I jumped onto the trampoline, which launched me upward so fast, my face felt like it was fusing with my skull. Eventually, I found myself on the ground near the toy box. I got up and watched as my friends launched out.

"Okay, I feel like all my blood sunk to my feet," Bombette said.

We all got up and watched as the toy box shook, then we heard a boom from it.

"…I guess that takes care of all the Shy Guys…" I said.

"It's too bad that nice man who saved us had to get squished though," Watt said.

Bombette and I looked at each other, then laughed as we danced together, happy that Goompa was gone.

"…why are Mr. Mario and the pretty Bomb happy that man is gone?" Watt asked.

"It's a long story," Kooper said as Bow growled at the sight of Bombette and I dancing together.

**

* * *

**

Author's Note: Did Goompa survive that? Was Coron's shield enough to save them? Find out on our next chapter! Also, two things. 1) For those of you who thought I didn't post anything Friday, check out my story "Experiment 7792 Codename: Shadow Arceus". And 2) I know this ark was short, but don't worry. I plan to make the next ark much, MUCH longer! I personally really like the island ark (even though the boss was a terror to beat), and I have a special plan for Coron and co… if they survived the crash, that is. Until Wednesday, everyone!


	24. Chapter 24: Peaceful for Once

**Author's Note: Finally, the team has a chance to rest and relax! Not sure what you would call this chapter. Maybe one of those "Intermission" chapters where not much happens? *Shrug* Aw well.**

_**

* * *

**_

_**Chapter 24: Peaceful For Once**_

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

I dispelled the shield I held up. Looking around, I saw the entire place was destroyed.

"Wow," George said, standing up straight. "That's one powerful shield of yours."

"Takes a lot of energy to create one that powerful, though," I said, panting. "You're lucky. If I held that shield up any longer, I would have entered a coma."

Suddenly, Nottaboo came up to us.

"What?" Jr. Troopa asked, turning his head to face Nottaboo. "Nottaboo! I thought you were dead!"

"…I'm a Boo," Nottaboo said. "I'm already dead."

"Wait a minute…" I said. "If Boos are already dead, how come they can still be killed?"

"It's complicated," was all Nottaboo said in answer.

From a bit away, we heard a moaning, and a Shy Guy in a general's outfit, who was under a sort of dome when the place collapsed, came out of the rubble nearby.

"Ow…" he said. "Curse that Goompa! He destroyed my beautiful Utopia…"

"Goompa?" Jr. Troopa asked. "You know Goompa? That means you've met Mario too!"

"You're… absolutely right!" the general Shy Guy said.

"Wait…" I said. "How the bloody hell did you come to that conclusion?"

"Think about it," Jr. Troopa said. "Has Goompa ever shown himself to anyone OTHER than the people with and/or after Mario?"

We all opened our mouths, thought about it for a minute, then closed them, deep in thought.

"…my God, he's right," George said.

"Anyway," General Shy Guy said, "my name's General Shy Guy. I'm the general of the-"

"Shy Guys, we got that much," I said.

"Right," General Shy Guy said. "Anyway, I was hired by Bowser to defeat that Mario, but unfortunately, I… I… failed."

"Trust us, we know how that feels," King Goompa, Red Koopa and Tutankoopa said simultaneously.

"Would you like to join Team Nightmare?" Jr. Troopa asked. "We could really use a leader who knows what he's doing!"

It took all my self-restraint not to kill him right then and there.

"Oh boy would I!" General Shy Guy said happily. "I love teams, especially teams with funny names!"

"Yeah," Tutankoopa said. "What kind of idiot came up with the name 'Team Nightmare' anyway?"

Everyone except me began laughing. I was visibly shaking with rage.

_Must… not… kill…_ I thought, forcing back every single urge to kill those slack-jawed idiots I had.

"Anyway," General Shy Guy said after he stopped laughing, "we better chase after them… right after we have a nice rest!"

Everyone gave a cheer.

"Rest?" I asked. "We don't have time for rest! We have to go out and kill Mario while HE'S resting!"

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'?" General Shy Guy asked me.

"Besides," Jr. Troopa said, "we haven't had a bite to eat in how long? I'm starving!"

"Whatever," I said, turning. "You all can rest, I'm going off to fight Mari-"

I was cut off as my stomach growled. Yes, even Nightmares need to eat every now and again.

"…maybe I can stay for a quick meal," I said, realizing just then how hungry I was. Everyone gave a cheer.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Slow down, Mario!" Goombario said. "You don't want to choke yourself!"

The seven of us were in a restaurant in Toad Town. I was gulping down food faster than I ever thought it was possible for me to eat.

"I can't help it!" I said after swallowing a large clump of food in my mouth. "This is all so good, and I haven't eaten anything in a day! Seriously, I'm surprised I didn't notice how hungry I was until now!"

"I'd say it has something to do with how caught up we are in our adventures, we don't have time to notice anything else," Kooper said after taking a bite of a Fried Shroom.

"This restaurant defiantly makes much better food than my staff of cooks back home," Bow said, taking a sip out of her Koopa soup. She looked up to see both Kooper and Parakarry staring at her, eyes wide in shock and their jaws dropped.

"What?" she asked them. She then looked from them to the soup, then back at them. "…oh."

Bombette was laughing silently.

"So Mario," she said, turning to face me. "Where to next?"

"…not sure," I shrugged after swallowing another bite of my food. "I'm sure something will turn up. But so help me, if it doesn't wait for tomorrow, after I get a much needed night of sleep, I will hunt down whatever force is causing this to happen to us and personally teach it a lesson with my hammer."

"You really like that Hammer, don't you?" Goombario asked, glaring at Bombette when neither of us were looking.

"Yeah," I nodded. "The one good thing about Goompa was that he introduced me to the hammer. It just feels right in my hands. The way it swings, the way I hold it… everything about it is just awesome."

"This is really good food!" Watt said, taking a bite out of its food using only it's face.

"Watt," Kooper said, picking up a fork and offering it to Watt, "you use these to eat. Leaves less of a mess."

"Thanks, nice turtle!" Watt said, grabbing onto the fork with one of its electric arms. Unfortunately, the fork, being made of metal, conducted the electricity from Watt and shocked Kooper.

"…why is Mr. Turtle taking a nap?" Watt asked, looking down at the shocked and out-cold Kooper on the ground. I sighed.

"Let's get him to the inn," I said. "I'm full, anyway."

After paying our bill, we made our way to the Inn. God, I never saw a bed look so inviting.

"Welcome to the-" the Inn-Keeper started, but was cut off as I threw several coins at him.

"Keep the change!" I said as I flopped onto a bed. I gave a sigh of relief, feeling the comfy mattress underneath me. In literally less than half a minute, I was asleep.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

I was sitting down near where the others were sleeping, thinking about the Dream Keeper's demise. Now, you may be asking yourself why I'm not sleeping with them too. First off, I'm not like that. Second of all, just because Nightmares need to eat doesn't mean they need to sleep, too. We thrive off the dark.

_**Coron… **_a dark voice sounded from nowhere.

"Lord of Nightmares," I said, getting on one knee.

_**What is the status on the Dream Keeper? **_the voice asked.

"He has obtained four Star Cards so far," I said. "Fortunately, none of his powers seemed to have awakened yet. The only thing keeping me from destroying him instantly is this blasted dream. The Dreamers knew what they were doing when they created this…"

_**Do not worry about the Dreamers,**_ the voice said. _**Rixamim is undermining the dream even as we speak. Just focus on eliminating the Dream Keeper.**_

_That shape-shifting diva? _I thought. _Why send her?_

I didn't voice my thought, however.

"Understood, master," I said, bowing my head.

With that, the dark air that filled the room when the voice began faded. I sighed as I sat back down.

"Who were you talkin' to?" Goompa asked me.

"Just the Lord of Nightm-AUGH!" I shouted, jumping back.

"Shh!" Goompa said. "You'll wake them up!"

"How in the world did you survive that crushing!" I asked him.

"I'm Goompa," Goompa shrugged. "Duh."

With that, he got on a rowboat and rowed away. I blinked.

"I'm… going to pretend I didn't just see that," I said, sitting back down.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

When I woke up, I could tell it was early in the morning. I sat up in my bed to see almost everyone in their beds, sleeping. I quietly snuck out and onto the ceiling, where upon I saw Bombette staring at the sunrise.

"Hey," I said, sitting next to her. She turned to face me.

"Hey, Mario," she said. "Beautiful sunrise, hm?"

"Makes waking up early all the more worthwhile," I said.

"No wonder you woke up so early," Bombette said. "You fell asleep around noon!"

"Really?" I asked. "Could have sworn it was later… aw well."

I shrugged and continued watching the sunrise with her.

"Mario?" Bombette asked.

"Hm?" I said.

"What are you going to do after this adventure's over?" Bombette questioned.

"I… don't know," I said honestly. "Go back home, I suppose."

_But how will I do that? _I wondered. _I don't even know how I got here, much less how I'll get back…_

As we sat there in silence, we heard a melody play.

"…what the?" I asked, looking around. Nearby was the blue Bob-omb who was obsessed with Bombette.

"You again!" Bombette asked. "What are you doing here!"

"I am here because I love you so," the blue Bob-omb said, getting uncomfortably close to Bombette. "Your beautiful eyes, they stare deep into my soul… your skin, so pink and inviting to me… your fuse-"

Before he could finish that sentence, I flipped him over on his head and held my hammer like a golf club.

"Fore!" I shouted, hitting him so hard it caused him to fly into the sky and disappear.

"Thanks," Bombette sighed. "Though I was this close to doing the same."

"Yeah," I said, sitting down next to her, "but I always wanted to do that. Now, can we just sit here in silence, watching the sunrise?"

"I was afraid you'd never ask," Bombette said, and the two of us turned our attention back to the sunrise.

Little did I know that nearby, Bow and Goombario were glaring at us.

"So…" Bow said, "she's going to cause him nothing but grief?"

"That's what Merlin said, yeah," Goombario said. "I say she's a spy of Bowser's, here to lull Mario into a false sense of security so she can stab him in the back when the time comes."

"Let's make a pact, then," Bow said. "You and me, we'll work together to make sure that evil bomb won't do anything to Mario."

"Deal!" Goombario said with a nod. "Now, let's get back to bed so Mario won't suspect anything."

_Heh heh… sucker, _Bow thought as she followed Goombario.

* * *

**Author's Note: God… remind me never to procrastinate again! I actually had to get up at 4 in the morning to crank out this chapter because I never got around to it! Well, never again! Anyway, the next ark will begin next chapter! I can't wait! Until next time, everyone!**


	25. Chapter 25: In the Belly of the Whale

**Author's Note: I really have to stop procrastinating… why do I insist on waiting for the last minute to write these things? WHY! *Sigh* Well, here's the chapter, as promised.**

* * *

_**Chapter 25: In the Belly of the Whale**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"After all that hard work, this is exactly what we needed," I said, stretching as my friends and I left the Inn after a pleasant breakfast.

"…that's odd," Parakarry said, looking around.

"What?" Goombario asked him.

"It's just…" Parakarry said. "I've spent years delivering mail here, yet I've NEVER seen it so deserted at this time."

We all stopped to look around. Sure enough, no one was around.

"Weird…" I said. "Where could they be?"

"…I think I hear something coming from the docks," Kooper said.

"Let's go the-Toad town has docks?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah…?" Bombette said.

"But… I thought it was smack-dab in the middle of this continent!" I said.

"Actually," Goombario said, "it's more middle-south. It's the 'hub' where every path connects to, but it has perfect access to the ocean."

"…well," I said, "I guess that make a little bit of sense…"

We all headed over to the docks. As soon as we got there, we saw why the whole town was deserted: Everyone was at the docks, gawking at the huge whale anchored right near shore, where ships would usually load/unload.

"…this answers one question, but raises so many others," I said. "Come on, let's get a closer look."

We weaved our way through the crowd to come to the dock, where we saw…

"Kolorado!" Kooper gasped. "It's you!"

"Hello there, my boy!" Kolorado said with a wave.

"What are you doing here?" Bombette asked him.

"Oh, just adventuring like always," Kolorado said with a shrug.

"What have you been up to since we saw you last?" I asked him.

"Therapy," Kolorado said before twitching.

We were all silent.

"…right," I said.

"Anyway," Kolorado said, "I've come here to investigate the mystery behind this giant fish."

"…but," I said, "that's a whale. They're mammals, not fi-"

"What's that, Mr. Fish?" Kolorado asked as he hugged the whale. "I'm your best friend? Well, you're my best friend, too!"

"…I think that whole blowing-up-the-ruins thing affected him worse than we thought," I whispered to my group.

"He's completely insane!" Bow said.

"Hey!" Kooper said, hitting Bow upside the head. "Donchoo be talkin' 'bout my hero like that, Boo!"

"People have said I'm crazy…" Kolorado said. "But I'm not crazy! I'M THE ONLY SANE PERSON LEFT!"

After a bit of laughter, Bow hit him upside the head with a fan, knocking him out.

"That should make him chill out a bit," she said.

"OH STARS THANK YOU!" the Whale said. We all jumped and turned to face him.

"You… you can talk?" Bombette asked.

"YOU can talk?" the Whale replied.

"Touché," Bombette said.

"Anyway," the Whale said, "I feel something jumping around in my stomach, really upsetting it. That's why I docked myself, to let it rest. But it's just not letting up. I tried telling people, but the only person who would get close enough to me was that crazy guy."

"He's not crazy!" Kooper said. "Albeit he kind of… snapped a little after the ruins blew up, but he's not crazy!"

"…anyway," the Whale said, "would you be so kind as to enter my stomach and take care of whatever's causing the problem?"

"Sure," I said. "Just open up and say 'Ah'."

"Ah," the Whale said, opening it's huge mouth.

"Prepare some lighting, Watt," I said. "Just whatever you do, DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING. One tiny zap inside his body could cause… bad things to happen."

"Sure thing, boss!" Watt said, lighting itself up.

"I think Watt and I are going solo for this," I said to the group. "Too many people in his stomach could cause some complications."

With a wave, Watt and I entered the Whale's mouth. After a tiny bit of walking, we came to the Whale's stomach.

"…hey, I think I saw something move up there!" Watt said, turning to face an upper part of the stomach. As soon as it did, I saw a thing of black dash out of sight.

"I saw it, too…" I said, pulling out my hammer. "Get ready…"

Silence.

Suddenly, a tiny black creature jumped at me, screaming. Acting on my reflexes, I spun around and slammed my hammer into it, knocking it back into an important looking organ.

"Um… oops," I said as everything began shaking. Watt managed to escape the Whale's mouth in time. I, however, wasn't so lucky, and ended up getting blasted out of the spout on top of the Whale's head along with the black thing. We both landed back on the dock.

"Ow," I said, getting up and shaking the water off me.

"OH THANK THE STARS I'M FREE!" the black thing said. I couldn't tell you more about it, it just looked small and black. "FREE! FREE! FREE!"

With that, it hopped away, screaming "FREE!".

"…okay then?" I said.

"Oh, I feel MUCH better now!" the Whale said. "Thank you, kind hero!"

"No biggie," I said, standing up and walking back over to my friends.

"For that," the Whale said, "I'll… I'll carry you and your friends over to a favorite island of mine!"

"Thanks," I said, "but we're kind of looking for something now."

"Oh," the Whale said. "Okay, I understand. After all, some weird things have been happening since Bowser visited the island."

"Bowser!" we all asked.

"Yup," the Whale nodded. "He only stayed for a few minutes though. It was like he was just dropping something off."

"Maybe that's where the next Star Card is!" Bombette said.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," I said. "We'll take that ride, thank you."

"Alright!" the Whale said. "Climb on!"

It then dipped under the water enough so we could all easily walk onto it's back.

"Oh…" Kolorado moaned as we began to board the Whale. "What happened? Where am I?"

"You don't remember?" I asked him.

"The last thing I remember is setting out to research the temple in Dry Dry Ruins," Kolorado said. "Everything else is just… blurry."

"Ah," I said. "Well… uh…"

"The Temple was over-rated anyway," Parakarry said. "Nothing in there's sacred anymore, it's just flooding with tourists nowadays"

"Oh," Kolorado said, sounding a bit disappointed.

"But hey!" I said. "We're heading to a cool island that no outsider has ever stepped foot in!"

"Uncharted island?" Kolorado asked. "Count me in!"

He jumped onto the Whale's back along with the rest of us.

"Alright," I said, "let's go!"

With that, the Whale sped off toward the island.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"Alright," I said. "According to the locals, Mario was last seen on a Whale heading off to the South East."

"So all we need to do is get a boat to follow them in," Jr. Troopa said, "and you can use your cool Nightmare powers to track them down!"

"Bingo," I said.

"Just one problem," George said. "We have neither a boat nor the money to buy one."

"Come along!" a rich toad said. "We are about to embark on a three hour tour of the beautiful Mushroom Kingdom's ocean!"

"…wait here," I said, walking over to him. I placed my hand on his head and said, "Sleep." He instantly fell dead asleep. I motioned for the rest to come forward.

"How did you do that?" General Shy Guy asked.

"I just told him to take a nap," I shrugged as we got on. "Now hold on. I'm going to tail that Whale."

With that, the sails were dropped, and we shoved off, heading toward Mario.

* * *

**Author's Note: If only they knew what would happen Monday… aw well. See you all then!**


	26. Chapter 26: Livin' in a Yoshi Paradise

**Author's Note: While most kids my age are out spending their Saturday nights partying and having a blast, I'm spending mine sitting in front of my computer, writing my story. *Sigh* Aw well. At least you're happy, right? Anyway, onto the chapter!**

* * *

_**Chapter 26: Livin' in a Yoshi Paradise**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Boo yeah!" I said, pumping my fist into the air as I pinned Kooper's thumb down with my own. "Undefeated thumb wrestling champion on the whale!"

"Can I thumb wrestle too?" Watt asked.

"Sure," Kooper said, holding out his hand to Watt.

"NO KOOPER DON'T-" we all shouted, but we couldn't finish as Watt grabbed Kooper's hand and electrocuted him.

"…oops," Watt said as Kooper fell unconscious.

"We really need to buy him some rubber gloves," I sighed. I looked up to see an island approaching fast.

"We're almost there, guys!" I said.

A few minutes later, we hopped off the whale and onto the island. Kooper was a little unsteady on his feet, but he was awake.

"Thanks again!" I said.

"Not a problem," the whale said. "And if you ever need my help getting to and from this island, just give me a call, okay? I'll be around."

"That we'll do," I said. "See ya!"

With that, the whale waved and jumped back into the sea.

"I like him," I said.

"A very friendly whale," Bombette agreed. "We should probably check out this island.

"Yeah, we should," I agreed, heading off deeper into the island. After a bit of walking, we came upon a small village, full of Yoshies.

"So THIS is where Yoshies come from…" I said, looking around.

"Hey…" one said, turning his head to face me. "It's… it's Mario!"

Everyone turned their heads at the sound of that name.

"Mario!" they all said, running to me.

"Hi every-whoa!" I said as they all picked me up over their heads and carried me.

"Mario!" the chanted as they carried me along. My friends followed behind the crowd. The group then dropped me off in front of a big green Yoshi with a chief's hat. He was… well… let's just say he could stand to lose a few pounds.

"Hello again, Mario!" the chief Yoshi said. "It's great to see you again!"

"Hi," I said. "Um… we've met?"

"Why Mario, don't you remember?" the chief Yoshi asked. "About three weeks ago, you helped us fight against the monsters raiding our village and isolated them on the farther edge of the island!"

"I did?" I asked. "Er… I mean… of course I did! Sorry, I had a head injury lately. My brain got all knocked around, and a few things just popped out of my memory, I guess."

"Oh," the chief Yoshi said with a nod. "That's understandable, I suppose. Well, as long as you and your friends are here, feel free to stay as long as you like! You are our honored guests."

"Thanks!" I said with a nod. "By the way, I'd like to ask you something."

"Hm?" the chief Yoshi asked.

"You see…" I said. "Bowser-"

"CHIEF! CHIEF!" A Yoshi cried, running up to us.

"One second," the chief Yoshi said before turning to the other Yoshi. "Yes?"

"It's Sushi… and the kids… they're nowhere to be found!" he said. The Yoshies all began to panic.

"Sushi?" I asked. "Who's Sushi?"

"She's… she's the baby sitter," the chief said as he began hyperventilating. "He always watches over the kids in this village. With her missing…"

The excitement was too much for him. He passed out.

"…I think we should help," I said as I watched two Yoshies run into each other in panic.

"No kidding," Parakarry said.

"Come on," I said, weaving through the crowd of panicking Yoshies. "Maybe they accidentally wandered into a deeper part of the forest. All we have to do is find them, bring them back, and calm the Yoshies down."

We made our way deeper into the forest around the town. We followed a path until we reached an area surrounded by a lake. It was a smallish section with a single tree growing on it.

"Dead end," I said. "Looks like we better turn-"

The leaves of the tree shook.

"What was that?" Goombario asked. He looked up into the tree. "Uh… you may want to look up."

We all did, and saw a purple Cheep-Cheep sitting in the tree.

"Hello there!" she said. "Do you mind helping me down?"

"Uh… sure, one second!" I said. "Parakarry?"

Parakarry flew up, grabbed the Cheep-Cheep, and carried her back down to the ground.

"Thank you," she said. "My name's Sushi. I was chasing the kids when-"

"Wait-wait-wait," I said. "You're Sushi?"

"…yes?" Sushi said.

"And you're a Cheep-Cheep," I said.

"Yes," Sushi repeated.

"…what kind of sick and twisted sense of humor did your parents have?" I asked.

"Why do I get the feeling this joke has already been done…" Goombario said to himself.*

"Anyway," Sushi said, "I was just sitting down, watching the children play. They told me they were playing hide and seek before running off into various hiding spots across the village. After 15 minutes of silence, I realized something was wrong. I went off to search for them, but didn't find them anywhere in the village. Thinking about the worst that could have happened, I ran into the forest searching for them. When I came to this spot, an old Goomba told me that one of the kids was hiding up in this tree. After helping me up into the tree, he yelled at the river people for stealing his eggs, then ran off , shouting that he was going to chase after the great whatzamahoozit of ding dang dong mountain."

"GOOMPA'S ALIVE?" Bombette and I shouted.

"Aw man, I thought we were rid of him!" Bombette said.

"I know!" I said. "How in the world did he survive that collapse of the ceiling?"

"…this is GOOMPA we're talking about," Kooper said.

"True," I said, hanging my head in sadness.

"Maybe we'll be rid of him some other day," Bombette said, patting my arm with her head (it was the only thing she could reach, and she had no hands to pat with).

"Yeah… maybe," I said, standing back straight up. "So, Sushi, you're looking for the kids, right?"

"Yes, of course!" Sushi said.

"Well," I said, "we're more than willing to help you look for them."

"Really?" Sushi asked, cheering up.

"Of course!" I said. "It's what we do, after all."

"Even though we SHOULD be looking for the Star Card and not wasting our time searching for a few brats…" Bow muttered, though no one either heard her or cared what she said.

"Let's go," I said. "If we all work together to comb the forest, it shouldn't take too long to find them."

With that, the eight of us walked deeper into the forest.

* * *

* At this point, I was struck with a serious case of writer's block. It took me HOURS to get my mind on track and get back to writing. SEE WHAT KIND OF TORTURE I GO THROUGH TO MAKE YOU HAPPY?

* * *

**Author's Note: Remember when I said Coron would have a surprise Monday? Well, after careful thought, I figured out it's going to be Friday instead. Also, I'm going back to school Friday. I'll be starting high school this year, so if I find it difficult to juggle both my school work and writing these chapters, please bear with me. Anyway, I'll see you all Wednesday!**


	27. Chapter 27: Second Tallest Tree

**Author's Note: …yeah, I have nothing to say. Sorry.**

* * *

_**Chapter 27: The Second to Tallest Tree in the World**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"…and gotcha!" I said, climbing up and grabbing the Yoshi on a cliff.

"Hey, what are you doing!" the Yoshi kid asked, trying to squirm out of my hands.

"Getting you back to the village," I said, sliding back down to my friends. "You mind holding still? You're making this a lot harder for me."

"Just give up, dude," another Yoshi kid said, this one being held by Parakarry. "They're not going to let us go."

"Is that everyone?" I asked Sushi.

"Let's see… one two…" Sushi said, doing a headcount of the Yoshi children. "…yep, that's everyone."

"Back to the village, then," I said, heading back to the village. It wasn't long at all before we made our way back. The Yoshies were still panicking.

"We're back!" I said. "And we have the kids, so you can stop with your panic attacks!"

The Yoshies stopped mid-panic, turned to face us, then cheered as they picked up their children.

"Thank you, Mario!" the Yoshi chief said, he now awake. "We are once again in your debt!"

"No biggie," I shrugged. "By the way, I understand that you all care deeply about your children, but why did you completely freak out and panic like that?"

"Oh," the Yoshi chief said, "because we're the last of the Yoshi kind. Those children are our future. Without them, we would all die out."

"…you do realize that they're all boys, right?" I asked him.

The Yoshies were silent.

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" one Yoshi cried, and they all began panicking again

"You think we should tell them that they aren't the last Yoshies, that there are still more of them out in the world?" Goombario asked.

"Nah," Bow said. "This is too much fun to watch."

"As true as that is," I sighed, "we really need to look for that Star Card. Come on, I don't think the Yoshies will help us any time soon now."

We all walked out of the village, Sushi following us.

"…why are you coming with us?" I asked her.

"I figured you would need my help," she said. "Baby sitting's not my only skill, you know. Believe it or not, I'm a black belt."

"…you're a black belt?" I asked her.

"Yes," Sushi nodded. "Why, don't you believe me?"

"It's just… it's kind of a hard concept to grasp," I said.

"Let me see your hand, dear," Sushi said. With a raised eyebrow, I placed my hand on her fin. She, in turn, placed her other fin on top of my hand, twisted my arm, and flipped me onto the ground.

"Still find it hard to believe?" she asked.

"Okay, I believe you!" I said, standing back up. "You can come with us."

"Thank you!" Sushi said. "Well, lead the way, Mario!"

I nodded, then turned around…

…to face a crow.

"Wah!" I said, jumping back. "Where did you come from!"

"My methods of travel are of no importance to you," the crow said.

"…you can talk?" Bombette asked.

"YOU can talk?" the crow asked her.

"Touché," Bombette replied.

"Anyway," the crow said, "our chief saw what you did. You are a very selfless individual, helping those Yoshies in their time of need."

"Thanks, I guess," I said.

"He would like to see you in person," the crow said. "Follow me."

With that, he took to the skies and flew off. I turned to my friends, shrugged, then turned back to the crow, following. My friends kept up with me as I followed the crow all the way to an incredibly large tree, so tall that it was almost touching the clouds.

"…whoa," I said.

"We're supposed to climb THAT?" Watt asked.

"I can fly, but I don't think I could come close to getting that high!"

"Don't worry," the crow, who suddenly appeared by us again, said. "The inside of the tree is hollow, see?"

He directed our attention to a hole in the tree. I stuck my head in it to see the inside was, indeed, hollow. Stairs circled around the perimeter of it, leading up to the top.

"At the top is our chief," the crow said. "We'll meet you up there-"

"Wait a second, wait a second," I said. "If this thing's hollow, how can it be this big?"

"Pardon?" the crow asked.

"I mean," I said, "this tree is HUGE. I don't understand how it could support its own weight if it's hollow. Not only that, but the fact that it's so tall on top of the fact that it's hollow would mean it would be bending all over the place, and would also most likely just snap like a twig in a strong enough storm."

"…you know," the crow said, "you're not really supposed to think about these things that hard. This is Paper Mario for Pete's sake. The laws of physics kind of take a back seat."

"…did you just break the fourth wall?" I asked him.

"Only of the game, not of the story," the crow said.

"What story?" I asked, tiling my head.

"Oh, nothing," the crow said, shaking his head. "I'll meet you all up there."

With that, he flew up to the top.

"Well," I said, "we best get started."

"But Mario," Goombario said, "this thing is HUGE! There's no way we can walk all the way to the top!"

"It's better than climbing to the top, at least," I said, beginning to walk up the stairs. "Besides, it can't take THAT long to climb up this thing."

* * *

_**5 minutes later…**_

* * *

"Still not really that high," I said, keeping a steady pace.

* * *

_**30 minutes later…**_

* * *

"I'm sure we're getting close," I said, slowing down my pace a bit.

* * *

_**An hour later…**_

* * *

"Just… a tiny… bit… more…" I panted, leaning on the wall.

* * *

_**5 hours later…**_

* * *

"Why is it taking them so long?" the crow chief asked, tapping his wings together. "…ah, there they are!"

I crawled up the last few steps, panting hard as I landed on the top.

"Oh thank God we're here…" I panted as my friends crawled up as well, panting hard.

"I never want to walk up another staircase again…" Goompa panted.

"My feet are killing me…" Bombette breathed. "And my lungs."

Sushi panted as she dropped to the ground in exhaustion.

"I liked it!" Watt said with a smile, it not even having to take a single step, as it floated up the stairs.

"That's why I always float everywhere, honey," Bow said, taking advantage of my momentary paralysis to float up close to me.

Kooper and Parakarry were just breathing heavily, Kooper resting his legs and Parakarry resting his wings.

"…you do realize there was an elevator, right?" the chief crow asked, pointing at a nearby elevator.

"…you couldn't have told us that SEVEN HOURS AGO?" I screamed.

"I thought it was obvious…" the crow that was with us earlier said with a sheepish smile. We all glared at him.

"Anyway…" I said, turning to face the chief, "why did you want to see us?"

"You're looking for the Star Card, right?" the chief asked me.

"How did you-" I started.

"Our kind is everywhere," the chief said. "We pick up knowledge. Anyway, we know where the Star Card is. It's being guarded by one of Bowser's minions in the volcano."

"This island has a volcano?" I asked.

The crows all pointed to the volcano in the distance, quite a bit of a ways down to the ground.

"How did I miss that…?" I muttered to myself.

"It's completely surrounded by lava," the chief said, "but there is one way to get into it."

He moved aside to show a zip line.

"Just move down this and you'll be at the entrance," he said.

"Alright," I said, "those with arms, carry the ones without arms down. EXCLUDING WATT, KOOPER."

"What do you take me for, an idiot?" Kooper asked.

"Well-" Bow started.

"Let' s go," I said. "Bombette?"

I grabbed Bombette with one arm and the zip line with the other. After taking a deep breath, I slid down.

"YAHOO!" we both cheered as we zipped down. Bow was visibly shaking with rage as she saw us zipping down together, and Goompa was glaring down at us.

* * *

**Author's Note: Done! And you'll all be able to see what Coron's up to tomorrow! Until then, Pax is out! Peace!**


	28. Chapter 28: Coron's Isle, Ep 1

__

**Author's Note: I've been waiting all week for this! For the chapter I mean. Not school. Anyway, here we go!**

**

* * *

**

_**Chapter 28: Coron's Island, Episode 1: Pilot**_

_**

* * *

**_

_Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale  
A tale of a fateful trip,  
That started from this mushroom port,  
Aboard this tiny ship.  
_

_The mate was a mighty killin' dude,  
The Skipper a hobo,  
Oh eight pirates set sail that day,  
For a chase on the go,  
A chase on the go. _

__

The weather started getting rough,  
The tiny ship was tossed.  
If not for the panic of the pathetic crew  
The Mushroom would be lost.  
The Mushroom would be lost.

The ship set ground on the shore  
Of this uncharted desert isle  
With Coron,  
And George too.  
King Goomba,  
And Red Koopa,  
The super nerd,  
Nottaboo and Shy Guy too,

_And the rest,  
Here on Coron's Isle._

_

* * *

_

_**Enter Coron:**_

_**

* * *

**_

I heard the sound of the surf as my eyes opened. I was lying down near the wreckage of our ship on a beach.

"Ow…" I said, sitting up. "What ha-oh, for the love of… you idiots crashed the ship, didn't you!"

"…maybe," King Goomba said, sticking his head up from behind the wall of the ship.

"I'm still just ticked off that I wasn't in the theme song!" Jr. Troopa said, sitting down with his arms crossed. "I mean, 'And the rest'? That's where they place the unimportant losers!"

"What about Mary Ann?" Tutankoopa asked.

"The exception that proves the rule!" Jr. Troopa said.

"Come on," I sighed, getting up. "George, stay here and look after them. Jr. Troopa and Nottaboo, you come with me."

The three of us made our way into the jungle that was on the island.

"I wonder what kind of cool stuff's on this island?" Jr. Troopa asked.

"It's a deserted desert island," I said. "The only cool stuff that's going to be here are cannibals, coconuts, beasts, and more coconuts."

"Yes," Nottaboo said. "The tiny animals won't know what hit them… the darkness will engulf them as I wrap them in my cold embrace, sucking out every ounce of life they had left…"

"…Coron, Nottaboo's scaring me again," Jr. Troopa whispered to me.

"Suck it up," I replied, but secretly, Nottaboo was scaring me as well.

"…hey, what's that up there?" Jr. Troopa asked, pointing ahead to a group of bushes.

"Bushes," I said. "Moving on."

"No, I think I saw something behind those bushes…" Jr. Troopa said, peeking behind them. Suddenly, a giant monster jumped out, screeching.

"RUN!" Jr. Troopa shouted, he and Nottaboo running back to the beach. I stood my ground, transforming my arms into swords.

"Alright beastie," I said. "Bring it on."

With that, I ran forward. The monster shot down a claw at me, but I blocked it with my sword. After a bit of a struggle, I beat back the claw and jumped up, slashing down with my right arm/sword. The monster rolled out of the way, but I slashed off its tail. It screamed a horrid scream, then looked at me, pure hatred it it's eyes. It dashed forward, but I crossed my two swords into an X right at the creature's throat. With one slash, the beast was no more. I stood straight up, transforming my swords back into arms.

"Don't mess with a Nightmare," I said to the corpse before turning back and walking to the beach. When I got there, I saw everyone huddled around something.

"…what are you all doing?" I asked.

"Listening to the radio!" King Goomba said.

"…what radio?" I asked.

"The radio Tutankoopa made out of coconuts!" Red Koopa said.

"…I'll question how that's possible later," I said, pushing them out of the way and sitting near the radio. "Right now, we need to call for help."

I put on the coconut headset and messed with the coconut dials, trying to get a signal out.

"Attention, this is Coron," I said. "My group and I are stranded on an island and are requesting help."

"Merrywhether to Coron, where are you?" a voice asked on the radio. "We will come to pick you up immediately."

"We are-" I started, but suddenly, Goompa fell from the sky and crushed the radio.

"Hi everyone!" he said. "What did I miss?"

"GOOMPA!" we all shouted. We then chased after Goompa all over the beach.

____

* * *

_So this is the tale of our castaways,  
They're here for an arc at least.  
They'll have to make the best of things,  
Else be eat by beasts. _

__

Oh Coron and the hobo too,  
Will do their very best,  
To make the others stay on track,  
In their tropic island nest.

No phone, no lights, no Mario,  
Not a single luxury  
Oh it's just like Rick Astley,

_It's primitive as can be. _

__

So join us here each week my friends,  
You may just get a smile,  
From the eight stranded castaways  
Here on Coron's Isle!

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, that's it for you. I'm sorry, I really couldn't think of much to put in this chapter, but you get the idea. The next Coron's Island episode should be much better, I hope. Anyway, I'm starting 9th grade today, so that's awesome. Summer's over, and school has begun. So if I go on a hiatus, blame school, not me. Anyway, that's enough talking for now. See you all next time!**


	29. Chapter 29: Upgrade Obtained

**Author's Note: I'm trying something new for this chapter: I'm writing it in my notebook in class! I figured, this way, I can keep on cranking these chapters out three times a week without giving up my personal time. Well, enough author's notes for now. Onto the chapter!**

* * *

_**Chapter 29: Upgrade Obtained**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

Given the fact that we were so high up and the volcano was so far away, I wasn't really surprised that the zip line ride lasted more than five minutes.

"Great view, huh?" Bombette asked, looking down at the tops of trees that were passing under us.

"Yeah…" I said. I realized after a moment I was staring at Bombette. I shook my head and looked back ahead.

After a tiny bit of time passed, we landed on the ground, past a river of lava, and in front of the mouth of a cave entrance leading inside the volcano.

"The Star Card's in there?" I asked.

"That's what the crows said," Bombette said as the others landed.

"…where's Watt?" I asked, doing a head count. Bow held out a squirming rubber bag.

"BOW!" Kooper shouted, snatching the bag away and opening it to let out Watt.

"What?" Bow asked as Watt floated out of the bag. "Any other way, he would have shocked someone. I'm just thinking about the safety of the team!"

"I couldn't breathe in there!" Watt said, taking deep breaths.

"It's okay, little guy," Kooper said, patting Watt on the back. As soon as he did, however, he was electrocuted and knocked unconscious.

"…give the rubber bag to Kooper to wear as a glove," I said as Parakarry picked up Kooper. "And Bow, where did you get that bag from, anyway?"

"That's my little secret, hot stuff," Bow said, winking at me.

"Of course," I sighed as Bombette glared at Bowe. "Come on, everyone. Into the fire we go."

"We turned to enter the volcano, but stopped when we heard someone shout "HEY!"

We spun back around to see Kolorado zipping down the zip line.

"Kolorado?" Goombario asked. "Where did you come from?"

"I freakin' rode the bloody whale with you to this island!" Kolorado shouted.

"You did?" I asked. "When did you-OH! Sorry, I honestly just totally forgot about you."

"We've been a bit… preoccupied," Goombario said.

_Preoccupied keeping track of HER_, Goombario thought to himself.

_Who's her?_ Goompa's voice asked in Goombario's mind. _Salina Gomez?_

"AH!" Goombario screamed, jumping into the air. _How… how can you talk in my mind like that!_

_I'm Goompa! _Goompa said. _I'm the Gary Sue of insane people!_

With another insane laugh, Goompa's voice disappeared from Goombario's mind.

"…you okay, Goombario?" I asked him. "You just screamed and jumped, and you look shocked."

"Oh," Goombario said, taking a few deep breaths. "Yeah… I'm okay. I just… er… saw a big bug. It startled me."

"Ah, okay," I said, nodding.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Kolorado asked. "Let's go!"

With that, he ran into the cave leading inside the volcano.

"I swear, if we have another Indiana Jones reference, I'm gonna scream," I sighed, walking into the cave, Bombette by my side. Everyone else followed behind.

* * *

"Wow, this place is hot!" Bow panted.

"What did you expect?" Sushi asked. "This is a volcano, after all."

We were in a long hallway, stretching out for quite some time. It was dark, hot, and stuffy. Needless to say, it wasn't exactly the nicest spot in the world.

"How deep is this volcano, anyway?" Kooper, who was awake, albeit a bit shaky, asked.

"Judging by how far we've walked and the fact that we haven't encountered any lava yet," I said, "I'd say…"

"Very," Bombette finished for me. "Would it be too much to ask for a breeze in here?"

I was about to answer when I saw a glint of light ahead.

"Get ready," I said, my hand on my hammer. "We're about to enter the eye of the volcano."

Prepared for the worst, we approached the light. Soon, we reached the end of the hallway and entered a large chamber, full of lava. Waterfalls of lava were pouring down the sides, several platforms were hanging around the chamber, and in the center was a large treasure chest on a platform in the lava pool. On a nearby platform, trying to reach the treasure, was Kolorado.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Kooper shouted down to his idol. "You're going to get yourself KILLED!"

"I must get the treasure!" Kolorado said. "It's mine, all mine!"

He then gave an insane laugh as he jumped onto a platform closer to the chest.

"…I don't think the insanity's completely worn off yet," I said.

"He could rival Goompa at this rate," Parakarry said. Both Bombette and I gave an involuntary shudder at the thought of two Goompas running around in the world.

"Goompa nothing!" Bow said. "At this rate, he could be worse than NOTTABOO."

At this thought, Bow herself gave a shudder.

"Let's to get him before he hurts himself," I said, legs bent and ready to jump. "Parakarry, Watt and Bow, since you can fly/float, you come with me. Everyone else, stay here."

With that, I did one of the Super Mario Super Jumps™ to jump down to platform after platform, Parakarry and Watt following. Bow nodded at Goombario before following. Goombario nodded back as he walked over to Bombette.

"It's too bad Mario didn't have you go down with him," he said. "I thought he trusted you."

"What are you talking about?" Bombette asked, turning to Goombario. "They're just the only ones that can float in the air is all."

"Okay," Goombario said. "If that's what you wanna believe…"

"What are you getting at?" Bombette asked him.

"Well…" Goombario said, "all I'm saying is that Mario can't float or anything, can he? Yet he's going anyway. If he really thought you were good enough, he would have asked you to come along with him, too."

"…you know what?" Bombette asked. "You're right! Thanks, Goombario!"

With that, Bombette began jumping down the platforms.

"…what is she doing?" Sushi asked.

"I… don't know," Goombario lied.

_This plan better work, Bow, _Goombario thought.

_You're mean! _Goompa's voice said in Goombario's head again. _I'm glad I disowned you!_

_It's not my plan, it's Bow's, _Goombario replied. _Trust me, if I could think of another plan that doesn't involve killing her, I would use it instead._

_If you really didn't want her dead, you wouldn't be going along with this plan in the first place, _Goompa said.

…_you're right, _Goombario said. _…hey, wait a minute! Since when do you give wise words of advice?_

_Uh… er… _Goompa said. A tone played in Goombario's head.

_We're sorry, _a female voice said in his head. _Your call has been disconnected. Please hang up and try again._

As this was happening, I landed on the platform with the chest next to Kolorado.

"It's mine, all mine!" he said insanely.

"Wait, don't!" I said as the three floated over. "It could be a booby tra-"

A click sounded as Kolorado opened the chest…

…but that was it.

"A hammer?" Kolorado asked, pulling out a powerful looking hammer. "Boring!"

He threw it behind his back, where upon I caught it.

"…huh," I said, examining the new hammer. "Waddaya know."

With that, I placed the new hammer in my right hand and threw the old hammer behind my back. I heard a thump and a growl. Slowly, I turned around to see a group of Fire Piranha Plants, one of them with a bump on its head.

"Oh, of course," I sighed.

"With that, we began battling. A Piranha Plant snapped at me, but I managed to barely dodge it and counter-attack. That hammer must have been wicked powerful, because just one hit knocked that monster out.

"Whoa…" I said, staring at the hammer.

"Mario!" Watt said, shooting off a bolt of lightning past me and knocking out a Piranha Plant that was about to attack me.

"Thanks!" I said, giving Watt a thumbs up.

A little bit away, Bow knocked back a Piranha Plant and looked up to see Bombette climbing down. With a sneer, Bow pulled out her fan and "accidentally" threw it at the platform Bombette was on. It broke apart and Bombette fell.

_Yes!_ Bow thought happily as she watched Bombette fall. Fortunately, however, Bombette exploded right next to a wall, the shock wave shooting her forward. She landed with a roll and stood back on her feet on the platform we were battling on.

The things Bow thought when this happened were unprintable.

"Bombette?" I asked as I knocked out a Piranha Plant. "What are you doing here?"

"I figured I couldn't trust you alone down here with her," Bombette said, motioning to Bow. "Besides, do you honestly think I would pass up the opportunity for a fight?"

Bombette and I stood back-to-back, surrounded by the Piranha Plants.

"Ready?" I asked her.

"More than you know," she replied.

With the two of us working together, we made short work of the Piranha Plants.

"Great job!" I said.

"What did you expect?" Bombette asked with a smile. "Come on, we need to move forward."

"Agreed," I nodded. After knocking out Kolorado with a zap from Watt and finding a path that led down from the higher path down to the entrance to the next chamber, we all gathered up together and moved onto the next room. Bow and Goombario stayed behind, however.

"I can't believe our plan failed!" Bow said.

"…uh, Bow?" Goombario asked. "I really don't think we should be doing stuff this extreme."

"You heard what Merlin said, didn't you?" Bow asked. "Unless we want that witch to hurt Mario, we have to take care of her at all costs."

She actually said something worse than the word witch. It had the same basic make up, the first letter was just changed.

"Well…" Goombario sighed. "I… guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Bow said. "Now come on, we have to catch up."

With that, the two caught up with the rest of the group.

* * *

**Author's Note: …wow, the whole writing chapter things in class is really working well. Much better than I originally thought, in fact. This is working out so well, I might even be able to update FIVE times a week! *Laughs* …I'm kidding, there is no way in heck I'll do that. Not even if you paid me. Well, that's it. See you next time!**


	30. Chapter 30: Coron's Isle, ep 2

**Author's Note: And now it's time for everyone's favorite show: Coron's Island! Enjoy! CAUTION: THIS CHAPTER IS RATED T FOR LANGUAGE AND MILD VIOLENCE. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVICED.**

* * *

_**Chapter 30: Coron's Island, episode 2: Another "Plane" Mis-Adventure**_

* * *

_Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,_

_A tale of a fateful trip,_

_That started from this Mushroom port,_

_Aboard this tiny ship._

_The Mate was a mighty killin' dude,_

_The Skipper a hobo,_

_Oh eight pirates set sail that day,_

_For a chase on the go._

_A chase on the go._

_The weather started getting rough,_

_The tiny ship was tossed._

_If not for the panic of the pathetic crew,_

_The Mushroom would be lost._

_The Mushroom would be lost._

_The ship set ground on the shore_

_Of this uncharted desert isle,_

_With Coron,_

_And George too._

_King Goomba,_

_And Red Koopa._

_The Super Nerd._

_Nottaboo and Shy Guy too,_

_And the rest,_

_Here on Coron's Isle._

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"So you can do it?" I asked Tutankoopa.

"It'll take some effort," Tutankoopa said, "but yeah, I think I can do it."

"Hey Coron," Jr. Troopa said, walking up to me. "Watcha doin'?"

"If you must know," I said, "I'm having Tutankoopa build us a plane so we can get out of here."

"Awesome!" Jr. Troopa said.

"Now then," Tutankoopa said, writing a list down on a leaf and handing it to me, "I'll need the following supplies."

"…why don't you just make it out of coconuts and sticks like the radio?" I asked him.

"Because we used them all to create a wi-fi hotspot and a computer," Tutankoopa said. "And Nottaboo stole them both and ran into the jungle to look up… certain things."

The mere thought of this made the three of us shudder.

"Jr. Troopa, you're coming with me," I said. "Get General Shy Guy, too. George, you're in charge until I come back again."

The three of us were walking through the jungle.

"What's the first thing on the list?" Jr. Troopa asked.

"…ten trees," General Shy Guy read off the list.

"Unless you want to be decapitated," I said, transforming my arm into a claymore so big it made Cloud's claymore look like a dagger, "I suggest you duck."

They did so, and I spun a quick circle, chopping down every tree in the area.

"Check," General Shy Guy said, checking off the trees on the list. "Now… sixteen palm tree leafs."

Check!" Jr. Troopa said, plucking the leafs off the chopped down trees. General Shy Guy checked it off the list.

"And the next item?" I asked, my arm back to normal.

"…a boar's tusk," General Shy Guy read.

"…why in the world is that needed to build a plane?" I asked. "And where are we supposed to find a boar, anyway?"

Then, because the author was lazy, a boar jumped out of the bushes, ready to attack.

"Well that was… convenient," General Shy Guy said.

"We can take him!" Jr. Troopa said, getting into battle stance. "Right, Coron?"

"If by 'we' you mean me," I said, shooting the boar between the eyes with a black arrow, killing it, "then yes."

"Aw, I never get to have any fun…" Jr. Troopa said as I morphed my hand into a dagger and cut off the boar's tusks.

"What next?" I asked, stretching out my fingers and intertwining them to create a net around the trees.

"Two electric eels," General Shy Guy read as Jr. Troopa picked up the tusks and leafs. "Oh, and twenty mid-sized rocks."

"You two gather the rocks, I'll get the eels," I said, walking back to the beach. After dropping off the trees, I walked to the edge of the water and gazed in. Closing my eyes, I stretched out my mind into the water. After a bit of searching, I sensed a pair of electric eels.

_Gotcha,_ I thought, shooting off my hand like a hook shot into the water. In less than a minute, I grabbed the two in a claw-like grip and pulled them out of the water. The sudden pull had stunned them, so I managed to drop them into a container full of water from our ruined ship before they had a chance to shock me. It was about then when Jr. Troopa and General Shy Guy came running back.

"Got the rocks!" Jr. Troopa said as they dropped off the stuff they gathered in a pile near the trees. "Did you get the eels?"

I nodded my head toward the container.

"What's left?" I asked.

"…several thick stands of cloth/rope," General Shy Guy read.

"Were are we supposed to get that?" Jr. Troopa asked.

"I think I have an idea!" Goompa said, he standing on top of Red Koopa.

"Ah!" Red Koopa shouted. "Where did you come from!"

"Somewhere else," Goompa replied. "I know where you can get some of that! Follow me!"

He then jumped off of Red Koopa and ran into the jungle.

"You think we should follow?" General Shy Guy asked.

"This is Goompa we're talking about," I said. "He could either lead us to our deaths or to exactly what we're looking for."

"Maybe we should trust him and follow!" Mary Ann said.

"…I'm not even going to ask where you came from," I sighed, walking into the jungle.

I eventually caught up with Goompa, and he led me to a dark cave.

"In here!" he said, running in. I took a few steps in, then stopped in my tracks.

The cave was covered in HUGE cobwebs, and in the center of the biggest one was a colossal spider.

"Go get him, tiger!" Goompa said, running out of the cave and pushing a boulder in front of it to prevent escape.

"If I wasn't under strict orders," I said, my night vision kicking in and my arms transforming into swords, "I would kill that old senile Goomba."

The spider screeched and ran toward me. I slid under it and slashed at its belly. Unfortunately, it had a sack of eggs that were ready to hatch under it, so by slashing, I woke up and ticked off thousands of spiders, the smallest ones being the size of dinner plates. They soon surrounded me, screeching and clicking.

"Alright, that's it," I said. "No more Mr. Nice Nightmare."

I held out my hand to the horde of spider babies, built up a large amount of Nightmare energy, and shouted:

"INFECTION BEAM!"

A huge blast of pure Nightmare energy shot out of my hand, bathing the spider babies in darkness. I grinned and gave a sigh of relief as this happened. Infecting creatures always relieves stress in a Nightmare. When the dark haze of the beam faded, I saw black spider-like Nightmares surrounding me, the result of my infection beam.

"Attack!" I commanded, pointing at the giant spider. The Nightmares obeyed, jumping forward and attacking the giant spider. While it was distracted, I ran forward and dealt a fatal blow, slicing it in half. I stood straight up and faced the Nightmares.

"Return to the Lord of Nightmares," I commanded. The Nightmares then faded away, returning to serve the Lord. I then gathered up the cobwebs around the cave, punched down the boulder, and made my way back to the beach.

"Hey, Coron!" Jr. Troopa said. "Did you find some rope?"

"The next best thing," I said, dropping off the cobwebs. "Make this into a rope and you have a rope stronger than re-enforced steel."

"This is exactly what we need," Tutankoopa said. "Now then, chop up those trees into lumber…"

By sundown, we managed to build a plane out of the materials collected.

"Now all that's left is to test it," Tutankoopa said, climbing into the plane. The engines started, the propellers spun, and the plane successfully took off. We all cheered as the plane rose into the sky and… flew… away… into… the… sunset…

"…he totally ditched us!" Jr. Troopa said. My eye twitched, and I fell on my knees.

"DAMN YOU, TUTANKOOPA!" I screamed. "DAMN YOU TO HELL!"

* * *

_So this is the tale of our castaways,_

_They're here for an arc at least._

_They'll have to make the best of things,_

_Else be eat by beasts._

_Oh Coron and the hobo too,_

_Will do their very best,_

_To make the others stay on track_

_In their tropic island nest._

_No phone, no lights, no Mario,_

_Not a single luxury,_

_Oh it's just like Rick Astley,_

_It's primitive as can be._

_So join us here each week my friends,_

_You may just get a smile,_

_From the eight stranded castaways,_

_Here on Coron's Isle!_

* * *

**Author's Note: Don't go thinking Tutankoopa's gone for good… or maybe he is, I haven't decided yet. Anyway, I'll see you next time!**


	31. Chapter 31: Two Definitions of Hot

**Author's Note: And now, we're back to my favorite character because of Narcissism. Enjoy, everyone!**

* * *

_**Chapter 31: Two Definitions of Hot**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"My treasure senses are tingling!" Kolorado said, running ahead. "This way, everyone!"

"Remind me again why we're going where a crazy man guides us to?" Bow asked.

"He's been right the last five times," I replied. "Sooner or later, he's bound to lead us to the Star Card."

We were all walking down a set of stairs, being led by Kolorado. The stairs eventually evened out into a sort of hallway. A path led straight forward, and lava was to both the left and right of us. Kolorado. stopped in the front of a lava pit in the middle of the path, as did the rest of us.

"There," Kolorado said, pointing down into the lava pit. "There's a great treasure down there. I can TASTE it…"

He then stuck out his tongue as he made slurping noises, "tasting" the air.

"…I am so sorry, dearie," Sushi said, patting Kooper. "I know he's your role model, and the way he's… er…"

"Snapped," Kooper said, hanging his head. "Yeah, I know…"

"I don't see how the Star Card could be down there," Bombette said. "I think Kolorado got this one wrong."

"Yeah," I sighed. "You're probably right. Come on, let's trek back and-"

Suddenly, a HUGE fire Piranha Plant rose from the lava pit, roaring at me. It looked like a regular Fire Piranha Plant, only it had leafs and colors that made it look more like a tropical plant. It also had two sort-of bulbs growing from it, each one with a Fire Piranha Plant head growing on it.

In other words: Wicked cool and wicked scary at the same time.

"This must be the creature Bowser hired to guard the Star Card!" I said, pulling out my hammer and getting into battle stance. "Is everyone ready?"

"I was born ready!" Bombette said, her fuse lighting as she got into battle stance.

"Let's do this!" I shouted before running forward.

The boss screeched as it flung a fiery vine down at me. I rolled out of the way, and Sushi spat water out at the vine, putting it out. The boss screamed and yanked back the vine, pulling it back into the lava.

"Wait a second…" I said. "That's it! Sushi, prepare a water gun! I have a plan!"

I ran forward and jumped up and down right in front of the boss.

"Hey, ugly!" I shouted. "I bet you can't touch this piece of Italian Plumber!"

The boss screamed in aggravation and opened its maw, ready to breathe a great pillar of fire at me.

"Sushi, NOW!" I shouted, dropping to the ground. Sushi, knowing her cue, shot out the large amount of water she was saving into the boss' mouth. It choked on the water, shaking it's head around.

"My turn!" Bombette said, jumping into the air and exploding at the boss' head. It gave one last shriek as it sunk into the lava, defeated.

"Great job!" I said, getting up and running forward to catch Bombette in my arms.

"Yeah, well, you know," Bombette said, closing her eyes smugly and crossing her feet. "Just doin' my job."

"Doing it well at that," I said, placing Bombette down on the ground. Behind my back, Bow was glaring at Bombette.

"But if we defeated the boss," Goombario said, "where's the Star Card?"

"I don't-" I started. Suddenly, everything began shaking.

"What's going on?" Watt asked.

"Something big is moving!" Parakarry said.

"What could be big enough to-" Goombario started. Suddenly, the boss burst out of the lava, screaming. It's entire body was tinted red, and it was completely on fire.

"That thing's hot!" Goombario said. "Not 'hot', but hot!"

"I don't think we can put this one out!" I said.

"What are we supposed to do then?" Kooper asked as we engaged battle again.

"I don't-" I started to say, but I was cut off as the boss hit me across the chest with a fiery vine, knocking me back on my back on the ground.

"Mario!" Bombette said, running to me. "Are you okay?"

"Oh… I'm fine," I said, looking up at the stalactites on the ceiling.

Stalactites…

It was then a plan formulated in my mind.

"Bombette, distract the boss," I said, getting up. "Don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger, though."

"Who do you think I am?" Bombette asked me.

"You," I replied, running over to Parakarry. "Hey, Parakarry!"

"What?" he asked, flying out of the way of a fire ball being spat at him.

"I need you to fly me up to the ceiling!" I said. "I have a plan!"

"Alright, grab on!" Parakarry said, offering me a hand. I took it, and he flew me up to the roof.

"Everybody, TAKE COVER!" I shouted down, hitting the stalactites with my hammer. Everyone dashed out of the way as the stalactites fell down and imbedded into the boss. It screamed in pain, writhing around.

"Time to finish this!" I shouted, letting go of Parakarry and dealing one last blow with my hammer. It gave one last agonized scream, then fell to the ground, dead. I jumped off and watched it wilt away and vanish. Lying on the ground where the boss used to be was the Star Card.

"Finally!" I said, walking up to it and picking it up. "Took awhile, but we got the Star Card! Great job, everyone!"

"Horray!" Kolorado said, jumping up and down. "Now gimmie that treasure, it's mine!"

"Ah!" I screamed as Kolorado tackled me to the ground, trying to snatch the Star Card out of my hand. Fortunately, Sushi managed to use her black belt skills to fling him off me, and Watt knocked him out.

"Thanks for that," I said, standing back up. "Now, time to meet this Star Spirit face to face… Star Card, Activate!"

In a flash of light, the pink, attractive Star Spirit appeared in front of me. Every male person on my team began drooling.

"She's hot!" Goombario said. "Not hot, but 'hot'!"

"Mario…" she said. "Thank you. I am forever in your debt."

"No biggie," I shrugged. "Just happy to be able to save another Star Spirit."

Suddenly, everything began shaking again.

"What's going on?" Bombette asked. "Is the boss coming back to life again?"

"Impossible, we watched it wilt away!" Kooper said.

I looked over to the lava to the sides, bubbling and swishing all over.

"It's not the boss…" I said. "It's the volcano! It's about to blow!"

* * *

**Author's Notes: Mua ha ha! Cliffhanger for the win! Will our brave team survive the eruption? Tune in next time to find out!**


	32. Chapter 32: The Great Volcano Escape

**Author's Note: Okay, I've kept you all holding your breaths for long enough. Here it is, the post-cliff hanger chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Chapter 32: The Great Volcano Escape**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"The volcano's about to blow!" Kooper asked.

"That's what I said, yeah!" I replied.

"Quick, this way!" the Star Spirit said, floating ahead into a chamber. We followed quickly.

"So," Bombette said, "just to recap, we're racing against an apparently active volcano so we can escape before it erupts. The only possible way this could be worse is if-"

"I was here?" Goompa finished, he now running with us.

"GOOMPA!" Bombette and I said, stopping in our tracks and turning to face him.

"That's my name!" Goompa said. "Don't wear it out!"

"Oh, I'm going to wear something out…" I said, pulling out my hammer.

"What are you standing around for?" The Star Spirit asked, floating back to us. "The volcano's erupting! You're all going to be cooked if you don't hurry!"

"…you got off easy, old man," Bombette said. "But next time…"

"You'll destroy me?" Goompa asked. "Horray!"

"…he even ruins a perfectly good death threat," Bombette sighed as we continued running. Goompa stayed behind, spinning in circles and whistling a tune to himself. After awhile of running, we came to a chamber that led straight up. There was an opening up at the top.

"This must be the mouth of the volcano!" I said. "We're saved!"

"But the village is doomed…" Sushi said.

"What?" I asked, snapping my head over to face her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that when this volcano erupts," Sushi said, "the lava will hit and destroy the village."

I was silent for a moment. I then ran out of the chamber and looked around. Down the hall from where we came was the light of lava as it was making its way through. To my right was a boulder, about the same size as the opening of the chamber. To my left was another hallway.

"Mario, what are you doing?" Goombario asked.

"I have a stupid plan that may just save the village," I said, getting over to the boulder. With a few well placed hits with my hammer, the boulder was in the entrance, sealing it shut.

"MARIO!" Bombette shouted. Her voice was muffled because of the chamber being sealed.

"I'm sorry, Bombette!" I shouted. "You guys get out of here, I'll leave the same way the lava is: Away from the village!"

"But Mario!" Bombette cried, but by that point I was running down the other hall and out of earshot.

"This is quite a brave and honorable thing you're doing," Goompa, who appeared running next to me, said.

"And stupid," I replied. "Don't forget stupid."

"Sometimes," Goompa said, "the bravest and most honorable actions seem to be stupid at the time that you do it. It's all a matter of perspective, however. To you, this only seems stupid because you're doing something that may cause you to die. However, to the Yoshies in the village, what you're doing seems brave and honorable because you're saving both their village and their lives. So you see, actions aren't judged by how you believe them to be at the time of doing them, but of the effect that action has on the people around you."

By this point, I had screeched to a halt and was staring at Goompa, my jaw dropped.

"…since when have you been a wise old man full of advice!" I asked, completely shocked.

"Uh…" Goompa said. "Er… I mean… Oh, look, pretty hot red stuff!"

Lava was getting dangerously close to us and closing in fast.

"Oh crap oh crap oh CRAP OH CRAP OH CRAP!" I shouted, running as fast as Mario's legs could go. The path had many twists and turns, and I almost lost my balance and fell at least twice. Somewhere along the way, I lost Goompa. If I wasn't so focused on escaping the erupting volcano, I would have cheered at the thought of Goompa being melted by the lava.

I eventually hit a dead-end with a tiny hole in it. Through the hole, I could see sunlight.

"This would be so much easier if Bombette was here!" I said to myself, hitting the wall with my hammer like a madman. I hit and hit, and the lava got closer and closer. Not even I thought I could make it out alive. Then, the wall crumbled into several large chunks, revealing a way out. The lava was too close, though. There was no way I could have escaped without getting torched. Thinking on my feet, I picked up a large rock, as big as me, and turned so the lava would hit the side I wasn't on. I gripped tight and braced myself. I felt a combination of the rock heating up to about 200 degrees instantly and a truck hitting me as the lava slammed into the rock and shot me into the sky. Below I saw the green forest, the large blue lake, and the red lava pouring out of the volcano. The last thing I remember was seeing a rock shooting toward my face. I felt a sharp pain in my head, lights flashed in front of me, and everything went black.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yes, another cliff hanger. And since Coron's Island is what's going to be on Friday, you'll have to wait five days to find out what happened to Pax! I'm evil, aren't I? See you next time!**


	33. Chapter 33: Coron's Isle, Ep 3

**Author's Note: It's that time of the week again! Pop some popcorn, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of Coron's Island! WARNING: This chapter is rated T for violence and cannibalism. Viewer discretion is advised.**

* * *

_**Chapter 33: Coron's Island, Episode 3: Cannibalization XIII**_

* * *

_Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,_

_A tale of a fateful trip,_

_That started from this Mushroom port,_

_Aboard this tiny ship._

_The Mate was a mighty killin' dude,_

_The Skipper a hobo,_

_Oh eight pirates set sail that day,_

_For a chase on the go._

_A chase on the go._

_The weather started getting rough,_

_The tiny ship was tossed._

_If not for the panic of the pathetic crew,_

_The Mushroom would be lost._

_The Mushroom would be lost._

_The ship set ground on the shore_

_Of this uncharted desert isle,_

_With Coron,_

_And George too._

_King Goomba,_

_And Red Koopa._

_The Super Nerd._

_Nottaboo and Shy Guy too,_

_And the rest,_

_Here on Coron's Isle._

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

The stars were bright in the sky. The moon was full. I sat back in my spot, looking into the night sky. After a moment, I placed a clawed hand on my chest and looked down.

"Sometimes… it almost feels like it's there," I said. "But, how would I know? I was born without one. I don't even have any memories of what one would even feel like."

I sighed as I sat back, enjoying the silence.

Wait a second… since when have those idiots ever been totally silent?

I shot up, knowing something was wrong. Looking around, I saw that no one was there. Closing my eyes, I stretched out my mind to find them. It wasn't long before I sensed a large group of people somewhere deep in the jungle.

"What are those idiots up to THIS time?" I sighed, walking towards the group I sensed. After a bit of walking, I came to a temple. Light came out from it, and I heard chanting.

"Oh, this I gotta see," I said, entering. Inside, I saw the idiots locked up in a cage. Thirteen natives were standing in a circle around a native girl locked in a cage connected to a chain above a pit of lava. The apparent leader stepped forward and slowly reached his hand toward the girl's chest.

"Whoa whoa whoa," I said, walking in. "What's going on here?"

The thirteen natives all turned to face me.

"How did you get into the Temple that Never Was?" one asked.

"…what?" I asked. "Why would… you know what, I don't care. Just tell me who you are and why you kidnapped those idiots."

"We are Cannibalization XIII," one said. "We are going to rip out their hearts, cook them, eat them, and string all their hearts together to create Kingdom Hearts."

"…what?" I asked. "Why would you even want to make it, and where is it?"

"We all lost our hearts when we became cannibals," one said. "Once we complete Kingdom Hearts, we can get our hearts back and become whole again."

"And there's Kingdom Hearts over there," another said, pointing over to a very large lump of hearts strung together. The stench and sight of the decaying hearts was overwhelming.

"Holy-" I started.

"Leave now so we can reap these seven hearts to add to Kingdom Hearts!" the leader said, turning back to face the girl in the cage.

"…yeah, I don't think so," I said. "As annoying as these idiots are, I need them as labor to build a ride off this island."

"If you really want them back," the leader said, "you'll have to fight all thirteen of us!"

"No prob," I said, cracking my knuckles. "Bring it."

The youngest one stepped forward.

"I am XIII," he said.

"…so you're not going to say your name?" I asked.

"Our numbers are our names," XIII said. "Anyway, I control light…"

He pulled out a flashlight.

"…and the most powerful weapon of all," XIII finished, pulling out a house key.

"…you're serious?" I asked.

"Dead serious," XIII said. "Face the wrath of the key sword!"

He screamed as he ran forward. I sighed and punched XIII in the face, knocking him out instantly.

"Next," I said. The only female one stepped forward.

"I'm XII," she said. "There's no way you're going to beat me, because I control… LIGHTNING!"

She then pulled out two wool slippers and rubbed them against each other to create static electricity.

"Feel the shock!" she said, placing it on me. All I felt was a tiny little snap. I looked up at her, then hit her with a chop in the neck, knocking her out.

"Next," I said. One with long, pink hair stepped forward.

"I am XI," he said. "I control the destructive force of… flowers."

He then pulled out a rose and threw it at me. It hit me on the chest and fell to the ground. I walked forward, kneed XI in the crotch, then hit him upside the head, knocking him out.

"This is just pathetic," I said. "Next."

An older man with a goatee walked forward.

"I'm X," he said. "I have a gambling problem and can control time."

He then pulled out a clock and began spinning the minute hand around. I snatched it out of his hands and hit him upside the head with it, knocking him out.

"Got anyone who doesn't suck?" I asked. "I mean, seriously."

A laid back looking man walked forward.

"Man, the name's IX," he said. "Not to be confused with 9. I don't look like a little cloth dude."

"Look," I said, crossing my arms, "can you just tell me what element you 'control' so I can knock you out and move on with the other eight members?"

"You don't understand," IX said. "I am one of the most powerful members of the Cannibalization."

"I find that a little hard to believe," I retorted.

"I control water…" IX said, pulling out a water bottle.

"Oh, so scary," I said.

"…and a horde of fan girls," IX finished as a group of teenaged natives surrounded him.

"My Lord!" I said. "That's the most destructive force in existence!"

"Still find it hard to believe?" IX asked. "Girls, go and show him what you're made of."

"IX, yes IX!" the fan girls said before tackling me.

"Ah!" I screamed as I drowned in the sea of fan girls.

"No one messes with my future husband!" One said, punching me in the head repeatedly. This comment gave me an idea.

"Hey," I said, "You all want to marry IX, right?"

"Of course!" the fan girls said simultaneously.

"But only one of you can have him," I said.

The fan girls stopped in their tracks.

"Well of course he's going to be with me!" one fan girl said. "He does like me best!"

"Liar, he likes ME best!" another fan girl said.

"You're both just kidding yourselves," a third said. "It's obvious he likes ME best!"

The fan girls then began to argue amongst one another.

"Why don't you ask IX who he likes best?" I suggested. All the fan girls turned to face IX.

"Uh…" IX said. "Er… I mean… that is to say… YOIP!"

He ran out of the temple, the fan girls chasing him.

"Next," I said, stretching my arms. A man with red spiked hair walked up.

"Name's VIII," he said. "V-I-I-I. Got it memorized?"

"Yeah," I said. "I also have memorized how quick and easy these battles are."

"What about the battle with IX?" VIII asked.

"The exception that proves the rule," I said. "Now, tell me your element so I can beat you down."

"I control fire," VIII said.

"Right," I said. "And let me guess: You'll be using a box of matches or something?"

"No," VIII replied, pulling out a flamethrower. "Just this."

He then shot out a column of flame at me, which I dodged by rolling out of the way. I then got up, jumped VIII, and jumped away, holding the flamethrower.

"Cute," I said, tossing the flamethrower away, "but I don't do cute."

With a swift kick to the head, VIII was knocked out.

"Bring in the next one," I said. A man with cold, calm eyes and blue hair walked forward.

"I am VII," he said.

"Kinda figured, considering the fact that you're all facing me in order from highest to lowest numbers," I said.

"I get my power from the moon," VII said. He clapped his hands, and the ceiling opened up, revealing the full moon.

"Right," I said, rolling my eyes. "How would you get your power from it, any-"

I stopped when I saw VII transform into a wolf.

"HOLY-" I started, but I was cut off as the wolf jumped at me. I managed to roll out of the way. The wolf circled me, growling.

"Hm…" I said, getting an idea. I held out a cupped hand and began shaking it around.

"See the ball, boy?" I asked as I shook my head. "See the ball? Huh? See it? See it?"

The wolf immediately lost all hostility as it watched the ball, panting happily.

"See the ball?" I asked, still shaking my hand. "Huh? See it, boy? See the ball? Go get the ball!"

I pulled back my arm and made the motion of tossing the imaginary ball out the doors of the temple as hard as I could. The wolf turned and chased after it, running out of the temple and out of sight.

"Bring in VI," I said, turning back to face the six remaining ones. The one with glasses and a book walked forward.

"I am VI," he said. "I control illusions."

He then opened the book and showed off a picture of several dots making a sort of spiral.

"See?" he asked. "If you move your head back and forth, it looks like it moves!"

I snatched the book away from VI and hit him upside the head with it, knocking him out.

"Are you ready for the next one?" the leader asked.

"Just a minute," I said, opening the book and moving my head back and forth. "…huh. It DOES look like it moves."

I closed the book and pocketed it. I was defiantly going to look through it later. A very large man with large mussels came forward.

"I am V," he said. "I control earth."

He then got on his knees, dug a hole in the dirt ground patch that I didn't notice until that very moment, planted the rose XI left behind, and sprinkled it with the water from the water bottle IX left behind.

"…yeah," I said before hitting him in the neck, knocking him out. "Next."

A man who looked a bit like a scientist walked up.

"I am IV," he said. "I control ice."

He pulled out a few ice cubes and threw them at me.

"…that's almost as sad as XI," I said, knocking IV out with a swift hit to the head. "Next."

A middle aged man with sideburns and long black hair walked up.

"I am III," he said. "And I control wind."

He pulled out a fan and began fanning me.

"…you are the most pathetic of all the members I've fought, and that's saying something," I said, knocking him out with another hit to the head. "Next."

A man with a sadistic grin and an eye patch walked up.

"Name's II," he said. "And I control…"

He pointed up at the night sky.

"SPACE!" he said.

"…you're serious?" I asked him. "I mean… space?"

"Yup!" II said. "You know the big Starman? That was me."

"Hm," I said. "Can you prove it?"

"Can I… of course!" II said. "I am about to hit you with the most powerful attack of all!"

He charged up a huge amount of energy, then released it all at once.

"There we go!" he said. "I just summoned a huge meteor to hit you!"

The night sky stayed nice and peaceful for a minute.

Two minutes.

Five minutes.

"…how long is this going to take?" I asked.

"It's a far-away comet," II said. "Seeing as it's so far away and how fast it's going, I'd say… 68 years."

I just stared at him.

"So all you have to do is sit there and wait, okay?" II asked.

"Screw this," I said, kicking II in the head and knocking him out. "Last one."

"Congratulations," the leader said. "You have come down to me. I am I, the leader, and I control… NOTHING!"

There was a moment of silence.

"So…" I said. "You can control nothingness and create voids and vacuums in-"

"Nope!" the leader interrupted. "I mean I control nothing whatsoever! I have no power at all!"

"…and I thought III was pathetic," I said, knocking the leader out with a single hit. I then walked over to and opened the cage, letting the group out.

"That was awesome, Coron!" Jr. Troopa said, hopping out.

"Any longer in that cage and I would have started to kill people to curb my restlessness…" Nottaboo said.

"…THANK YOU," Red Koopa said to me, glancing over to Nottaboo with a scared look on his face.

"Should we save this girl?" General Shy Guy asked.

"I don't care one way or another," I said. General Shy Guy pulled the cage away from the lava, and Red Koopa unlocked her and helped her out.

"Thank you…" she said. "I am Iuka. They were about to rip out my heart when you showed up. You truly are a brave… black creature thing."

"Yeah yeah, you're welcome," I said.

"I am forever in your debt," she said, getting uncomfortably close to me.

"Move before I make you move," I said.

"Moving!" Iuka said, jumping back.

"You could come with us!" Jr. Troopa said. "Tutankoopa ran away, so we need someone to fill the void!"

"I would love to travel with you," Iuka said, looking at me with a dreamy expression.

"These claws aren't just for show," I said, walking out of the temple. "Get within five feet of me and I'll rip out your internal organs."

"…is he always like this?" Iuka asked George.

"Pretty much, yeah," George replied, walking out of the temple with everyone else.

* * *

_So this is the tale of our castaways,_

_They're here for an arc at least._

_They'll have to make the best of things,_

_Else be eat by beasts._

_Oh Coron and the hobo too,_

_Will do their very best,_

_To make the others stay on track_

_In their tropic island nest._

_No phone, no lights, no Mario,_

_Not a single luxury,_

_Oh it's just like Rick Astley,_

_It's primitive as can be._

_So join us here each week my friends,_

_You may just get a smile,_

_From the eight stranded castaways,_

_Here on Coron's Isle!_

* * *

**Author's Note: Wow, the longest Coron-only chapter! Awesomeness! Also, this may sound a bit concided, but it's also my favorite chapter so far. Anyway, come Monday, the cliff hanger will end, and we'll see the fate of Pax! See you then!**


	34. Chapter 34: A Dream Within a Dream

**Author's Note: Ah, notebooks… You can take them anywhere and write whatever pops into your mind. The only way this could be better is if a keyboard and internet access are added so I can type at the speed of sound and upload the chapters the minute I'm done writing them! Well, enough of my congratulating the notebook, I've kept you all waiting long enough. Here it is, the end cliffhanger chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Chapter 34: A Dream Within a Dream**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

I found myself floating in a void of darkness. There was absolutely nothing around me. No light, no sound… nothing.

"Am I… dead?" I asked, looking around.

"No, Mario," a voice said. "You are not dead."

Out of my pocket came the five Star Cards. All but the pink Star Spirit I just saved in the volcano came out in a flash of light.

"Eldstar!" I said, looking at the one with the great mustache.

"Mamar!" I said, turning to the female one with a pink bow.

I then turned to the scholarly looking one and the blue one with a mischievous look.

"The other two Star Spirits who's names escape me!" I said.

"Skolar," the scholarly one said.

"Muskular," the blue one said.

"Right, that!" I said. "So… if I'm not dead, where am I?"

"You're unconscious," Mamar said simply.

"A rock hit you upside the head and knocked you out," Muskular said.

"You're actually floating face-up in the middle of a lake right now," Skolar said.

"Well that certainly explains why my back feels dripping wet," I said, shaking off some excess water dripping off my back.

"Do you know what kind of power you hold within you?" Skolar asked me.

"Well, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am pretty tough," I said.

"We're not talking about Mario's power," Mamar said. "We're talking about your power, Pax."

I was taken aback by this.

"You… know my name?" I asked.

"Of course!" Muskular said. "We are the guardians of this world! We know all that goes on, Dream Keeper."

"…Dream Keeper?" I asked, tilting my head. "What's that?"

"It's a thorn at our side," a female voice said. I turned around to see a little girl in a cute dress. She herself was adorable, but her eyes were… nasty. Less than evil, more than bad, if that makes sense.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Name's Rixamim, little Dream Keeper," the girl said.

"Do not worry, Dream Keeper," Skolar said as the four Star Spirits stood between me and Rixamim. "We will take care of this… this…"

"Nobody!" Muskular finished.

"Nobody?" Rixamim asked, mocking offensiveness. "That's just plain rude! Didn't your mothers teach you any manners?"

She sneered as she held out her arms, and suddenly, red crystals appeared and surrounded her. They joined together loosely, and Rixamim was soon holding two red whips.

"Looks like I'll just have to BEAT some manners into you!" she said.

"Pax, RUN!" Mamar said as the Star Spirits began to battle Rixamim.

"No way!" I said, pulling out my hammer and getting into battle stance. "I'm not leaving you alone to fight her!"

"You have no idea what this woman's capable of!" Skolar said. "Dream Keeper, you have to get out of here, no-OOF!"

He was hit with the gem whip and knocked back.

"Hold still, little Dream Keeper!" Rixamim said as she raised a whip into the air.

"No thanks!" I said, tossing my hammer at her.

"OW!" She said as she was knocked back. Her whips disconnected and fell apart.

"Did I hurt you?" I asked as I caught my hammer when it flew back. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"You're gonna pay for that!" Rixamim hissed as the gems began surrounding her. She was soon completely cocooned in the gems. They slowly expanded, and when they fell apart again, floating in the center was a giant pink dragon. It roared as it dashed forward and grabbed me in its claws.

"Who's laughing now!" it asked in Rixamim's voice.

"…hah," I said. "That would be me."

I know, that was a pretty stupid move. I just can't help myself sometimes, though. I choose to blame my mild ADHD.

Anyway, it roared in anger, and its grip loosened slightly. I took this as an opportunity and used my feet as leverage to break free of its grip. Once free, I slammed my hammer into its head. It roared as it was launched far down. Turning upward, it breathed a huge column of flame at me. I tossed my hammer downward. It flew through the flames and hit the dragon. It roared in pain and stopped the flames. I floated down to it, grabbed my hammer, and delivered one last earth-shattering hit with my hammer. It screamed as it was launched back. It was surrounded by the red gems again, and when they parted, Rixamim was floating there, panting.

"Not bad, Dream Keeper," she said. "But I wasn't trying my hardest there."

"Then why are you panting?" I asked her, crossing my arms.

"…shut up," she growled.

"I rest my case," I said with a nod.

"This dream won't protect you for long, Dream Keeper," Rixamim said. "I'll tear apart the binds protecting it until nothing stands in the way of the Lord destroying you."

With that, she disappeared in a column of darkness.

"She certainly knows how to make an exit," I said.

"We have even less time than I feared…" Eldstar said. "Pax, you must make haste in saving the last two Star Spirits!"

"Wait!" I said. "Before I go, I have a few questions!"

"There is no time," Eldstar said. "Once you complete your quest, we will answer any and all questions you have. We just need you to do one thing in return."

"What?" I asked.

"Wake up," Eldstar replied, touching me on the head.

* * *

My eyes shot open. I found myself in the middle of the lake I saw before I was knocked out. Nearby was stone where the lava had cooled down and several burnt down trees. I swam to shore and climbed onto dry land.

"I hope the village's alright!" I said to myself, running into the forest nearby.

* * *

**Author's Note: The thrilling conclusion, next time on the Legend of the Dream Keeper: The First Dream! See you then!**


	35. Chapter 35: He's NOT Dead?

**Author's Note: I told you I would see you then! Here it is, Pax's thrilling conclusion to this ark! Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Chapter 35: He's NOT Dead!**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Do you mind!" I asked as I knocked back a Piranha Plant. "I was just blasted out of a volcano and knocked out by a hit to the head! I'm not exactly in the best condition in my life, here!"

I was running through the area of the forest near the village, battling the monsters that really seemed to enjoy battling me. Eventually, I made my way back to the village, and when I did, I was greeted to quite a sight.

Everyone was standing around a picture of me, which was buried in flowers. The pink Star Spirit was floating there as well. They all looked pretty sad, but Bombette looked the worst of all. She looked tired, and her eyes were red from crying. Everyone else looked sad, but she took it to the next level. She had an aura of such deep sorrow, it was like a black hole, sucking up the little happiness that was left in the air.

I could go on, but you get the picture.

Anyway, the chief Yoshi then walked up to the front and center and began speaking:

"Thank you, everyone, for joining here today to remember the brave acts of Mario. Through his brave and honorable acts, the entire village was saved. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Mario hasn't been seen in three days and the nature of the violent explosion, we can only assume the worst."

Most had tears dripping down their faces. Bombette was downright sobbing.

"Would anyone like to say a few words?" the chief Yoshi asked, wiping the tears off his own face.

"He… he was the closest thing to a best friend I've ever had," Goombario said, shutting his eyes hard to try and prevent more tears from coming out.

"He was a nice man," Watt said, it's electric tears zapping everything they touched.

"He was a pretty cool guy," I said, walking out of the jungle. "Maybe a bit cocky at times, but overall an awesome dude. He was tough, tough enough to beat back enemies after being roughed up by a volcano and a rock to the head, and-"

"MARO!" everyone shouted, turning to face me.

"It's-a me," I replied with a wave. Everyone gathered around me to make sure I wasn't just a hallucination. Bombette pushed her way through the crowd, ran up to me…

…and exploded right by me, knocking me back into a tree. Afterwards, she jumped on me and looked me straight in the eyes, death glaring me.

"Don't you EVER scare me like that again!" she yelled at me. After a moment of silence in which she just glared at me, she gripped me in the Bob-omb's equivalent of a hug. I hugged her back and closed my eyes.

"Alright everyone, move along!" Kooper said, seeing that we needed to be alone for a moment. "Nothing to see here! You'll all get the chance to talk to Mario later!"

He managed to shoo everyone away from the area. Bombette and I were alone.

"Mario…" Bombette said. I opened my eyes and looked into hers.

"When you stayed behind in that volcano," Bombette said, "I felt more scared than I ever had before in my life. Just the thought of losing you…"

"I'm sorry…" I said. "I know that if something like that happened to you, I… well, I don't know what I would do."

We stared into each other's eyes for one moment. We then closed out eyes, brought our faces closer together, and…

…Kolorado jumped out from nowhere and tackled me.

"Where is it!" he shouted. "Where is the treasure! It's mine, I tells ya! Mine, all mine!"

He gave an insane laugh. A rock flew through the air and hit him on the head, knocking him unconscious.

"That should keep him out for awhile," Bombette said, lowering the foot she used to kick the rock and knock Kolorado out.

"Thanks," I said, standing back up. We stood there in awkward silence for a moment.

"Well…" I said. "That kind of killed the mood now, didn't it?"

"Yeah," Bombette said.

Yet more awkward silence.

"…so," I said. "Let's… let's head over to everyone else and get a bite to eat. I haven't eaten in… three days?"

"Yeah," Bombette nodded. "Let's go."

"Maybe they'll prepare a feast in my honor for saving their village!" I said as we made our way back to everyone else.

"Don't let that head of yours swell up too much," Bombette giggled.

"Is that anyway to talk to someone who beat death itself?" I asked in a dramatic voice before laughing. We both continued to talk and laugh like this as we made our way back to everyone else.

"Are you certain you have to leave so soon?" the chief Yoshi asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "Sorry, but we have to go out and save the world."

We were all standing on the whale. Kolorado, after coming to, had decided to stay on the island to search for more treasure.

"Come back and visit sometime, will ya?" one of the Yoshies said.

"We will!" Bombette said. "Try not to get your village in mortal peril before then!"

"No promises!" the chief Yoshi said with a wave. All of us with hands-excluding Bow-waved back as the whale swam off. We waved until the island was just a tiny dot in the distance.

"They're pretty cool," I said, sitting down on the whale. "Hope they don't accidentally kill themselves."

"I'll miss those kids…" Sushi said to herself, whipping a tear away from her eye. "But they really don't need me anymore. Time for me to move on."

"Mario?" the pink Star Spirit asked, tapping me on the shoulder.

"Hm?" I asked, turning to her.

"Do you mind returning me to the Star Card?" she asked. "Please? My energy's been draining for the past three days."

"Oh, of course!" I said, pulling out her card. "Return to the Star Card!"

She closed her eyes and gave a relieved sigh as she shot back into the card in a flash of light.

"So Mario," Parakarry said as I pocketed the Star Card, "what happened there in the volcano, anyway?"

"Well," I said, "after sealing up the entryway, I ran down a separate corridor, where upon I met, of all people, Goompa…"

* * *

**Author's Note: All that's left is to wrap up Coron's Ark, and we'll be moving on to the flower fields ark! Until next time, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out!**


	36. Chapter 36: Coron's Isle, Ep 4

**Author's Note: Whenever I write one of these chapters, I always get the theme song stuck in my head. Well, I won't have to worry about that, since this is the last episode of Coron's Island! Enjoy, everyone!**

* * *

_**Chapter 36: Coron's Isle, Episode 4: So Long and Thanks for All the Ratings**_

* * *

_Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,_

_A tale of a fateful trip,_

_That started from this Mushroom port,_

_Aboard this tiny ship._

_The Mate was a mighty killin' dude,_

_The Skipper a hobo,_

_Oh eight pirates set sail that day,_

_For a chase on the go._

_A chase on the go._

_The weather started getting rough,_

_The tiny ship was tossed._

_If not for the panic of the pathetic crew,_

_The Mushroom would be lost._

_The Mushroom would be lost._

_The ship set ground on the shore_

_Of this uncharted desert isle,_

_With Coron,_

_And George too._

_King Goomba,_

_And Red Koopa._

_The Super Nerd._

_Nottaboo and Shy Guy too,_

_And the rest,_

_Here on Coron's Isle._

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"_Fahgo est faramba jo einta,_" I said, closing my eyes and focusing on a spot ahead. "_Ein terra jo est forrena, ier ond veir oush-_"

"Hey Coron!" Jr. Troopa said, running up to me.

"_Dershoonga apt larf…_" I muttered under my breath. "What is it, Jr. Troopa?"

"Just came to check on you!" Jr. Troopa said. "You've been sitting here all by yourself for so long, Iuka was getting worried and asked me to check up on you!"

"Good for her," I said. "I've just been trying to do something I haven't done in awhile. If it works, we'll be off this island for good."

"Cool!" Jr. Troopa said. "So… what is it?"

"Opening up a corridor of darkness," I said. "I won't get into the details, you wouldn't understand. Now, stand back and shut up so I can try again."

Jr. Troopa nodded and ran some distance behind me, still watching. I closed my eyes, focused on a point in front of me, and began chanting again:

"_Fahgo est faramba jo einta. Ein terra jo est forrena, ier ond veir oush fahgo est faramba oush est dientar jo einta!_"

I felt dark power surge through my veins.

"_Fahgo est faramba jo einta!_" I shouted. "_Ier, Coron, ond sein!_"

Directly in front of me, a tiny hole leading into the darkness opened. I strained to keep it open, but the dream was too powerful. It closed the portal, leaving me panting and with nothing accomplished.

"Dammit, Rixamim…" I panted. "You couldn't do enough damage to allow me to open a portal?"

"Why can't you open a portal?" Jr. Troopa asked me. "Out of practice?"

"Partly," I said, getting my breathing back under control again. "An outside force is acting on the attempts I'm making at opening the gates to lead into the corridors of darkness. See, it' sort of like I'm trying to poke a hole through a piece of paper that keeps repairing itself. If I keep making small holes, I'll never get anywhere. But, again, I'm out of practice, so making a bigger hole is difficult. Also, the force closing my attempts at opening the portal also makes it difficult for me to make a bigger hole, like the paper I'm making the hole through is so tough, only tiny punctures can get through. That being said-"

"I got bored so I left!" Jr. Troopa's voice said for a bit of a ways away.

"That's the last time I ever vent to someone," I sighed. "Alright, let's try this again."

Once again, I closed my eyes and focused on an area in front of me.

"_Fahgo est faramba jo einta…_" I started.

* * *

It was sunset by the time I made my way back to the "camp", really the wrecked boat.

"Oh, Coron!" Iuka said, perking up when she saw me coming. "It's been awhile since you've come back to camp! I've been worried-"

"Are we any closer to building something to get us off this island?" I asked George, walking past and ignoring Iuka.

"With Tutankoopa gone, things have been going pretty slowly," George replied.

"Tutankoopa?" Iuka asked, sliding up close next to me. "Who's that?"

"What did I say about my personal space?" I asked her, holding up a clawed hand.

"Moving!" Iuka said, shuffling away from me.

"Better," I said. "And to answer your question, Tutankoopa used to be a member of our 'team'. He took off in the plane he built to take us off this island, however, so the next time I see him, I'm gonna rip out his entrails and make my own 'Kingdom Organs' out of them."

"Oh my!" Iuka said. "Don't you think that's a little… extreme?"

"Not at all," I said. "Do you have any idea what kind of hell I went through to get the materials needed to build that plane?"

"Uh…" Iuka started.

"I fought a giant spider," I said. "A giant. Freaking. Spider."

"Wow!" Iuka said. "Giant Spiders… the Cannibalization… you're so brave, Coron…"

"Brave?" I asked. "No. Not willing to put up with any crap from anyone? Yes."

"Oh don't be so modest, Coron," Iuka giggled. "You're the bravest one here!"

I turned my head to see King Goomba cowering in fear from the sight of a bug.

"Can't argue with that," I said.

"You two lovebirds mind paying attention for a moment here?" George asked. My clawed hand was at his throat a second later.

"You wanna say that again?" I growled.

"Okay, okay!" George said. "Geeze, can't take a joke…"

"Anyway…" I said as Iuka blushed and looked the other way and I pulled my hand away, "what were you saying?"

"Oh," George said. "Right. Well, I believe that with a few materials, we can re-build a plane. So, I'll need-"

"I'll go get it!" Iuka said before dashing into the jungle.

"…I didn't even get to finish," George said, blinking.

"Sooooooo?" Jr. Troopa asked me.

"Soooo what?" I asked.

"I think Iuka likes you!" Jr. Troopa said.

"What was your first clue?" I asked.

"Why don't you ask her out, then?" Jr. Troop asked.

"…okay," I said, "there are quite a few things wrong with that. First of all, we're tow completely different species."

"Love can overcome even the biggest barriers like that!" Jr. Troopa shouted.

"…secondly," I continued, "I can't love."

"Oh come now!" Jr. Troopa said. "Everyone can love!"

"Not a Nightmare," I said. "We're missing a key component that allows us to love."

"And what's that?" Jr. Troopa asked. I placed a hand on my chest and looked down.

"None of your business," I replied.

"Ooh, looks like I hit a soft spot there!" Jr. Troopa said.

"I'm going to dig a claw into your soft spot if you don't back off," I growled.

"Backing off!" Jr. Troopa said, doing so. It was about then a whirring noise was heard from the jungle.

"What's that?" General Shy Guy asked as he and Red Koopa looked up from their game of Battleship™. Out of the jungle came a fully-working airplane, piloted by Iuka.

"What the…" I said as Iuka powered off the plane and hopped out.

"Where did you find this?" George asked, staring at the plane in awe.

"A nice old man jumped out of the bushes, told me he was hiding from the aardvarks, and gave me this before running away."

"And thus does Goompa save us yet again!" Red Koopa shouted as he ran into the airplane.

"I'm coming home, Bow!" Nottaboo shouted as he floated into the plane.

"Are you impressed, Coron?" Iuka asked me.

"If you can successfully pilot this plane back to Toad Town, maybe," I replied, stepping into the plane.

"Anything for you," Iuka sighed, climbing into the plane as well.

* * *

From my seat, I looked out the window to see the tiny island dissapear in the distance.

"Sayonara, you God-Forsaken island," I said as I leaded back in my seat. "I'm gunning for you, Dream Keeper."

* * *

_This was the tale of our castaways,_

_They were here for an ark at least._

_They had to make the best of things_

_and none were eat by beasts._

_Oh Coron and the hobo too_

_Had done their very best,_

_To make the others stay on track_

_In their tropic island nest._

_No phones, no lights, no Mario,_

_Well that's all about to change._

_They're gunning after Mario now,_

_They're coming back in range._

_So thanks for tuning in my friends,_

_I hope you got a smile,_

_From the eight stranded castaways,_

_Here on Coron's Isle._

* * *

**Author's Note: And thus does both Coron's Island and the whole ark itself end. Also, between classwork, homework, Cross Country, and spending time with my girlfriend, I'm finding myself with less and less time to write. So if I just stop writing, I'm on hiatus. Until next time, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out.**


	37. Chapter 37: The Door to Flowers

****

Author's Note: A new ark being written in a new notebook! It's blue, my favorite color! Well, on with the ark!

* * *

_**Chapter 37: The Door to Flowers**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

The sun was beginning to set as we reached the docks of Toad Town.

"Thanks again!" I said to the whale as we all jumped off.

"No problem!" the whale replied before diving back into the water.

"So I suppose we just stand around and wait for some disaster to happen," I said.

"Why do you figure that?" Goombario asked me.

"It seems to be a pattern," I shrugged. "We return to Toad Town, get a short breather, then some random Toad runs up to us and says-"

"Mario, we need your help!" a female voice shouted.

"Yeah, that," I said. "…wait, what?"

I turned around to see a female Toad with gardening gloves running up to me.

"Oh Mario!" she said. "Thank the Stars you're here! Something terrible has happened!"

"What is it?" I asked, pulling out my hammer and preparing myself for battle. "Have monsters infested Toad Town again?"

"Worse!" the female Toad said.

"Bowser came back and is terrorizing the town?" Bombette asked.

"Worse!" the female Toad said.

"Mario's gone missing inside a haunted mansion Luigi won in a contest and it's up to him, using Professor E. Gadd's device, the Poltergust 3000, to enter the mansion, defeat all the evil Boos inside, and save his brother Mario before it's too late?" Parakarry asked.

"…I'm right here, you know," I said.

"And that's just insulting!" Bow said. "Not all Boos are evil, you know!"

I didn't hear exactly what Bombette muttered, but apparently Bow did, as she glared at the pink Bob-omb.

"Even worse than that!" the female Toad said.

"Then what?" I asked. "What's happening?"

"It's just so terrible!" the Toad said. "You see… the flowers are all wilting!"

We all stared at her.

"…that's it?" I asked. "That's the huge disaster that's happening?"

"Yes!" the Toad said. "Isn't it just horrible?"

"That's not the exact word I was looking for…" I said.

"Sorry, but… a few flowers wilting isn't exactly a disaster," Sushi said.

"WHAT?" the female Toad shouted, getting in Sushi's face. "You listen, you stupid fish! It's not just a few flowers, it's every single flower in town! And without flowers, many animals won't be able to find anything to eat and DIE! And the animals that eat those animals will die out too! And soon that'll effect us and we'll starve! And without flowers, light and carbon dioxide won't be converted into oxygen and we'll all suffocate! Do you WANT everyone to die out, PUNK?"

"Uh… no?" Sushi said.

"Then you have to help!" the Toad said, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me off. My friends followed behind.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"Oh Tom…" a female Toad said to a male Toad. "I love you so much."

"And I love you too, Gwen," the other Toad said. "I love you so much, not even a plane crashing into me could stop my love for you."

Gwen smiled gently and leaned in to kiss him, but then looked into the sky, screamed, and ran away.

"What?" Tom asked before looking into the sky to see a plane crashing toward him.

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT LITTERALLY!" Tom screamed to the heavens before getting crushed by the plane. The door opened, and we all jumped out.

"You couldn't have made the landing a little softer?" I asked, rubbing my sore head.

"I'm so sorry, Coron!" Iuka said, worriedly running up to me. "Are you okay?"

"Personal space," I said, holding out my arm to stop her.

"Right," she sighed dejectedly. "Personal space, I know."

"I think we landed on someone," George said, looking down under the plane.

"And we should care why?" I asked.

George didn't answer as he reached under the plane and pulled out a paper-thin Toad. He shook the Toad once, and he poofed back up, unconscious but alive.

"Oh yay, he's alive," I said unemotionally before placing my hand on the ground and searching for the Dream Keeper's tracks.

"Oh, he's so caring…" Iuka sighed dreamily.

"…do do realize he was being sarcastic, right?" George asked her.

"Don't ruin it for me," Iuka replied.

"Good news," I said, standing back up. "The Dream-Mario's closer than we had originally thought. If we hurry, we'll be able to ambush him."

"Yay, ambush!" Jr. Troopa cheered.

"Um… why are we ambushing this guy again?" Iuka asked.

"He made a fool out of us!" Jr. Troopa, King Goomba, Red Koopa, and General Shy Guy said simultaneously.

"He stole Bow from me…" Nottaboo said.

"I don't even know how I got here," George said with a shrug.

"What about you, Coron?" Iuka asked me.

"None of your business," I replied as I began following in the Dream Keeper's tracks. Iuka sighed before following.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Whoa, this place has gone to the dogs…" I muttered as I looked around the flower garden the female Toad dragged me to. She wasn't kidding when she said every single flower had wilted. It looked like a graveyard with how dull and gloomy it looked.

"You see?" the female Toad said. "This is just terrible! All the flowers are dying!"

"Alright, but… how are we supposed to help?" Bombette asked.

"He told me why they're dying," the female Toad replied, pointing to a giant bulb with feet and a face, who was standing nearby.

"…is that a giant flower?" Goombario asked.

"Bulb," the plant corrected. "Our world, the Flower Fields, is being destroyed by one of Bowser's minions! He seems to be using some strange machine powered by a magical card to ruin the flowers!"

"The Star Card!" we all said to each other.

"The what?" the bulb asked.

"…nothing," I replied. "So, where are these Flower Fields?"

"It's in another dimension," the bulb said. "Usually, you need four magic seeds planted with love to open the door, but the author's too lazy to do that, so I apparently hold the power to open the door myself."

The bulb then turned away and strained, building up power. He released all the power and, in a flash of light, a door appeared.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"AUGH!" I screamed, gripping my head and dropping to my knees.

"Coron!" Iuka said. "Are you alright?"

"DO I LOOK ALRIGHT, _DERSHOONGA_?" I snapped at her.

I didn't question the pain, I knew very well what it was.

Someone opened a gate to another Dream.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Hurry!" the bulb grunted. "I can't keep this door open forever!"

"Right!" I nodded. "Come on, guys!"

With that, we all dashed through the door.

* * *

**Author's Note: I apologize for the late update (I usually post these chapters around 6:00 AM, EST) and for the fact that, since I haven't played Paper Mario in awhile, I forgot a lot of the stuff that happened in the Flower Fields part. So, I'm just gonna be wingin' it. Until next time, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out!**


	38. Chapter 38: The Goompa Chapter

**Author's Note: I figured, since he hasn't been around as often as he used to, Goompa should have his own chapter! Well, here it is!**

* * *

_**Chapter 38: The Goompa Chapter**_

* * *

_**Enter Goompa:**_

* * *

"Doctor!" a hot nurse said, paging me over the video phone in my flying spy car from the future. "There's a patient in the ER!"

"I'll be there in a minute!" I replied, flying my car through a dangerous maze of electronics and metal. I saw ahead of me a giant red target that read: "Hit to blow up-tuate. :D"

"Do a barrel roll!" the ghost of my old frog mentor said.

"I will!" I replied. "For you, my father…"

I crashed the banana into the button, flying away on my baby doll that tried to eat my sidekick's armpit.

"Stay away from my waffles!" I shouted to the nasty egg peoplez before jumping to light speed and escaping the explosion of the Star of Death.

"Hey, you're not supposed to go faster than me!" angry Mr. Light shouted at me.

"But the cumquat is growing potatoes in my elephant tree!" I protested.

"Hey, me too!" Mrs. Water said.

"Oh Fred…" Mr. Sun sighed before we all began laughing.

"Well, I gots to go!" I said, jumping through a window. "Say hi to the hippos for me!"

My marshmallow landed in a tie-dye shirt as I flew down in my watermelon, crying "wee!" as I slid up the horizontal slide of funness. The book opened and I skidoo'd into it landing on a Toad.

"OW!" he shouted. "Geddoff!"

"Where?" I asked, looking for Milkrz. Geddoff.

"Get… off… me!" the Toad shouted, flinging me off him. I rollollolled on t4e gartjhoaie aewdy8i#%3q adsf8a7yeuiw#35q359iuqwe aedfawdj9orua8 kk 9oae8rup9ewa adf*dihfaosdfihsdfaiuhd fao8rhtaoewd a fa3ea5r$#43q34a faj98par qyrwe 8tu%43q598 rq7ru398 AE8 #Q35RTTT0OAR;W

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

Good Lord, THAT'S what goes on inside his head? I think I now have a newfound fear in Goompa's insanity. Tell anyone, though, and I'll kill you. Anyway, seeing as how Goompa's in no condition to write right now, I'll take over the chapter for now:

After recovering from the pain of feeling a door to another dream open, I made a mad dash to the point where the door opened, the group following me. When we got there, we saw a giant bulb with eyes and feet, unconscious on a table. Nearby in a doctor's outfit was Goompa.

"Oh doctor!" a female Toad in a gardening suit said worriedly. "Is he going to be alright?"

"Is toothpaste made from guano?" Goompa replied.

"Uh… I'm almost afraid to answer that question," the female Toad said.

"The only thing we have to fear is aardvarks, as they control the entire dolphin race!" Goompa shouted.

"…what?" the female Toad asked.

"EXACTLY!" Goompa exclaimed. While these two were conversing, I walked over to the point where I felt the door used to be.

"Coron, what are you doing?" Iuka asked.

"I think… I think this segment's weaker," I said. "Maybe I'll be able to create a corridor here."

Closing my eyes and holding out my hand, I began to chant: "_Fahgo est faramba jo ei_-"

"Ah, there you are!" Goompa said, dragging me over. "You're my new assistant that came in the mail!"

"Let go of me, you-" I started, but was cut off as Goompa spun me around, and when I could finally see straight again, I saw I was wearing a doctor's outfit myself.

"Oh, he looks so dreamy in that outfit…" Iuka swooned.

"Now, if this patient is going to survive, you must do EXACTLY as I say!" Goompa said.

"And if I refuse?" I asked, crossing my arms. Goompa, in turn, tazed me.

"OWOWOWOW!" I shouted. "OKAY, OKAY!"

"Good," Goompa said. "Now… knife."

"Where am I supposed to get-" I started when a doctor's bag fell out of the sky and landed on my head.

"Of course," I sighed, rubbing my head and pulling out a knife. I passed it to Goomba.

"Spoon," Goompa said. Raising an eyebrow, I passed it to him.

"Bread," he said.

"Why do you-" I started.

"I SAID BREAD!" Goompa barked, holding up the tazer.

"Alright, alright!" I said, pulling out and handing him the bread. Afterwards, I handed him a jar of Peanut Butter and a jar of Jelly.

"What does this have to do with the operation?" I asked, preparing myself to fight back and knock the tazer out of his… whatever he was using to hold it. It wasn't his mouth, so it was kind of confusing. Best not to think about it too hard, I suppose.

"What operation?" Goompa asked, making himself and taking a bite out of the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich he made himself.

"…right," I said, ripping the doctor's outfit off myself and walking back to the point. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go and open a door through this point so I can chase after Mario."

"You wanna door?" the Bulb asked, suddenly awake. "Clap on!"

He clapped with his feet, and suddenly, a door popped into existence.

"…I'm not going to question the logic of that event," I said, dashing through the door. The rest followed.

* * *

_**Enter Goompa:**_

* * *

"Oh thank you doctor!" Mrs. Gardening Toad said to me. "What can I ever do to thank you?"

"Just remember to brush your teeth and eat your vegetables!" I said before flying into the sky. I flew all the way past the clouds until I came to a pretty pretty palace in the sky.

"Hey everybody, Goompa's here!" a gwarfle said, dancing and laughing.

"Yay, Goompa!" the others said, dancing around in their pumpkin suits.

"David, what did I tell you about snorkeling?" I asked the pants man.

"Sorry, sir…" he replied sadly.

"Aw, it's okay son!" I said, petting the fish. "I forgive you anyway! Come on, let's go and fight the forces of evil!"

"Yay, evil!" a smiling skull said, and together, the Q of us flew into the sky and-

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay, the way Goompa's brain works is beginning to give me a headache, so I'm cutting this chapter short. Next chapter we'll be back to Pax and Co. as they go through Flower Fields! Until next time, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out.**


	39. Chapter 39: Welcome to Flower Fields

**Author's Note: Just enjoy the show.**

* * *

_**Chapter 39: Welcome to Flower Fields**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

After stepping through the door, we were greeted to quite a sight: A HUGE field of flowers, along with more bulbs with eyes and feet. The flowers didn't look as bad as the ones in Toad Town, but they still didn't look too good.

"Whoa…" I said, stepping out of the doorway along with my friends.

"It looks bad, does it not?" a voice behind me asked. I turned to see a giant tree with a face looking down at me.

"Who are you?" I asked as I mentally placed this on a long list of games including the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Oracle of Seasons.

"I am the guardian of this world," the giant tree replied. "Mario… do you see-"

"Whoa whoa whoa," I said. "Hold up a minute. How do you know my name?"

"I guard this world," the tree said. "I know EVERYTHING."

"Oh really?" Bombette asked, a sly look crossing her face. We both looked at each other and knew we were thinking the same thing.

"How many flowers are there in this field?" I asked.

"How many leafs are there on you?" Bombette asked.

"How many people have passed through that door in the entire history of this place?" I asked again.

"What were all of their names?" Bombette once again asked.

"What color is my house?"

"What's the name of my stalker?"

"How many people have I talked to in my lifetime?"

"How many people has Bow flirted with?"

"Hey!" Bow protested.

"Why did the professor and Mary Ann, two of TV's most liked characters, end up as 'and the rest'?" I continued to ask.

"Why doesn't princess Peach hire some better security guards, what with how many times she's been kidnapped?" Bombette asked.

"And what comes after '12 drummers drumming'?" we both asked simultaneously.

"…okay, so I don't know everything!" the tree said. "Smart ones…"

Both Bombette and I were laughing.

"ANYWAY," the tree said, "as I was saying, do you see the gloom?"

"Kinda hard to miss it," Bombette said after calming down.

"Well, do you know what is causing this?" the tree asked.

"If we did, we would be looking for it by now," Sushi said.

"Look up," the tree said. We all did so, and saw that the entire sky was covered in yellow clouds.

"Those clouds are being created by an evil machine created by Bowser," the tree said. "They're blocking out al the light created by the sun, so the flowers are wilting."

"Wait…" I said. "If it's blocking out all the light, how come this place is still well lit?"

"And how does this affect the flowers in our world?" Goombario asked.

"JUST SHUT UP AND GO ON A FETCH QUEST TO GROW A GIANT BEANSTALK AND DESTROY THE CLOUD MACHINE!" the tree snapped.

"Alright, fine!" I said. "Geeze, grumpy…"

"What is needed to be done in order to grow this beanstalk?" Parakarry asked, pulling out a clipboard and pen.

"Wait… where did you get that from?" Watt asked.

"A good mail Koopa must have these kinds of things on him at all times," Parakarry said.

"Hey, that reminds me…" Goombario said. "Didn't you originally join us to collect the letters scattered across the Mushroom Kingdom by Goompa?"

"I did," Parakarry nodded.

"Then why haven't you been doing that?" Goombario asked.

"Oh, I have," Parakarry said. "Behind the scenes, anyway. In fact, I finished collecting all the letters by the beginning of the fifth ark."

"Then… why are you still with us?" Kooper asked.

"Two reasons," Parakarry said. "One, I've been traveling with you all this long, might as well see it through to the end."

"And the second reason?" I asked him.

"I needed a break from delivering letters, anyway," Parakarry shrugged.

"But you're the only mail Koopa in the world," I said. "Wouldn't the sudden lack of mail delivery be a bit catastrophic?"

"Oh come on, what's the worst thing that could possibly happen?" Parakarry asked.

* * *

"My husband… he hasn't written back yet," a female Toad said, standing on top of a high bridge. "Since he left for war… I can only assume the worst. He was the only person I ever really loved… without him, my life means nothing."

With that, she jumped off the bridge and to her death.

* * *

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," I shrugged.

"Hey, what about those items?" Sushi asked.

"Oh, you're right!" Parakarry said. "Sorry, I guess that conversation left me… 'Karry'd away!"

He laughed and eventually came to a stop when he saw that everyone was just staring at him, not laughing.

"That was terrible," Goombario said.

"Worse than terrible," Bow said. "It was downright awful."

"Hmph!" Parakarry said, turning his back to us. "Everybody's a critic!"

"Well, it's not as much that as-" I started.

"DO YOU WANT ME TO #&%ING TELL YOU THE #&%-LOAD OF GOD#$& ITEMS OR NOT, YOU #&$ING PILES OF $#%!" the tree screamed. Everyone froze in their tracks and stared at the tree, their jaws dropped.

"Great tree…" one of the bulbs said.

"…sorry," the tree said. "I just… I have no idea what came over me there…"

We quickly got the list of items we needed from him and made a mad dash out of that area.

"Every time," the tree sighed. "…I'm so lonely."

* * *

**Author's Note: …yeah, looking back at this chapter, this is more of a filler/plot hole fixer. But, at least we have a logical reason for Parakarry to still be in the party, which is more than you can say with the actual game. Don't get me wrong, it's still an excellent game, but still… Anywho, next week we'll begin the three-part incredibly long and incredibly dull fetch quest of DOOM! Ooh, it just SOUNDS wicked awesome! I can't wait for it, personally! Well… I don't have to wait, really, since I actually WRITE these chapters. And for your information, yes, I am dragging this Author's Note out long because I'm trying to break 1000 words, which I just did. Or I'm just making up for the lack of the Author's Note up at the top of this chapter, your choice on what to believe. Until next time, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out.**


	40. Chapter 40: SAFQoD Part 1

**Author's Note: And now to begin the super-annoying never ending fetch quest of doom, as my little sister would put it. Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Chapter 40: The Super Annoying Never Ending Fetch Quest of Doom, Part 1**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

After a bit of walking, we came to a giant flower with eyes.

"Ah, visitors!" she said sweetly. "So very nice to meet you!"

"…wait, why aren't you wilting?" I asked, noticing she was the only flower with color in the area.

"Shh!" she said. "Don't point out plot holes the author can't write himself out of!"

"Author can't… never mind," I said, shaking my head. "Are you Petunia?"

"Why, yes!" the flower said. "Yes I am!"

"Perfect!" I said. "The tree said you had the bean we needed to grow a beanstalk and-"

"_**No, it's my precious!**_" Petunia hissed in a darker voice, clenching the bean like it was her precious.

"Oh come on, I'm sure they need it more than we do!" the sweet-voiced Petunia said to herself.

"_**It is our only friend!**_" Dark voiced Petunia said to herself. "_**It is our precious!**_"

"But they need it more!"

"_**WE need it more!**_"

"You're so selfish!"

"_**You're so gullible!**_"

"Kooper?" Watt asked Kooper as he watched Petunia argue with herself. "I'm scared."

"We all are, Watt," Kooper replied.

"Uh… excuse us," I said. "But do you mind terribly? We're kind of on a time limit here, and I'm certain we can do something for you in return if you simply let us have that bean. Now, just name it and I'm certain we can do it."

"Well…" sweet Petunia said. "There is one thing…"

"_**No, never!**_" dark Petunia protested.

"What is it?" Bombette asked, looking like she wanted to high-tail it out of there, same as me.

"We've had an infestation of Monty Moles, and their chewing at our roots," sweet Petunia said. "If you take care of them for us-"

"_**We MAY CONCIDER giving you our precious,**_" dark Petunia finished.

"Alright, we can do that!" Bombette said, getting into battle position. "Where are these Monty Moles?"

"Over there," sweet Petunia said, pointing to a Whack-a-Mole Machine.

"…you're serious?" I asked.

"_**Do you want our precious or not?**_" dark Petunia snapped.

"Fine, fine," I sighed, walking over to the Whack-A-Mole machine. I inserted 25 coins and pushed the start button.

"WAIT!" Goompa shouted, running up to me. "WAIT!"

"What is it this time?" Bombette asked, ready to explode next to him.

"That machine is from Soviet Mushroom Kingdom!" Goompa said.

"Oh, I see where this is going…" I muttered.

"What do you mean?" Sushi asked Goompa.

"In the Soviet Mushroom Kingdom…" Goompa said as the moles began coming out of the machine, "Whack-A-Mole machines whack YOU."

The moles all pulled out hammers.

"Yeah, shoulda seen this comin'," I said before running away from the deadly moles.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

We all stepped through the door and into a field full of flowers.

"What is this magical place full of joy and wonder?" King Goomba asked.

"Joy and wonder?" I asked. "What kind of Mushrooms have you been eating?"

"Ah, hello there!" a giant tree said, greeting us. "It's so very nice to meet you, new visitors!"

"Eff off," I replied, sensing the ground for the Dream Keeper's tracks.

"…what did you say to me?" the tree asked, deadly quiet.

"Forget him, have you seen my Bow?" Nottaboo asked the tree.

"…no, I don't believe I-" the tree began.

"LIAR!" Nottaboo screamed, jumping at the tree, clawing at its bark. "GIVE ME BACK MY BOW!"

"Is he… always like this?" Iuka asked George.

"Actually, this is one of his good days," George replied.

"…I'm scared," Iuka said.

"We all are," George said.

"GET OFF ME!" the tree shouted.

"GIVE ME BACK BOW!" Nottaboo screamed in return.

"Shouldn't we… do something?" Iuka asked.

"Ah what's the worst thing that could happen?" King Goomba asked.

* * *

_**3 minutes, 46 1/2 seconds later…**_

* * *

"Sacrifice!" the Bulbs chanted, holding Nottaboo over a fire. "Sacrifice!"

"Seriously, I think we should help!" Iuka said, sounding a bit worried.

"He'll be able to escape," I said.

"Wait… I just thought of something," Red Koopa said. "If Nottaboo's a Boo, how come he wasn't able to escape that cage we were in at the Temple that Never Was? And how come Nottaboo's not escaping now?"

* * *

"THANK YOU!" Sir Starlll exclaimed when he reached this part in the story. "…hey wait a second, how come it's saying everything I'm saying? Wow, it just keeps doing this! Hey, this is kinda fun! I wonder-"

* * *

"The Author's terrible with Plot Holes, I guess?" George suggested.

"Does anyone else care to continue breaking the Fourth Wall?" I asked dangerously, transforming my arm into a sword.

"We'll be good…" everyone said in unison.

"So, are we going to save Nottaboo?" Iuka asked.

"…only because he'll be able to easily wipe out Mario," I sighed. "One sec."

"Oh, he's so brave…" Iuka swooned as I dashed into the field of Bulbs, my arms transforming into swords.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"There!" I sighed once all the moles were defeated and the machine was destroyed (it was Bombette's idea to destroy it).

"Great job!" sweet Petunia said. "Well, as promised, here's your bean!"

She held out the bean, but her other leaf/hand snatched it away.

"_**No, anything but our precious!**_" dark Petunia sobbed.

"We don't need it," sweet Petunia said softly.

"_**But without it, we'll be all alone again,**_" dark Petunia sobbed.

"You won't be alone," sweet Petunia said, holding her hand. "We'll always have each other, no matter what."

"_**Oh… Petunia…**_" dark Petunia sobbed before hugging herself, dropping the bean.

"…how about we never come back here again?" I suggested as I picked up the bean.

"Agreed," everyone agreed simultaneously. We made a bee-line out of there.

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry for the late update, mainly procrastination on my part. Well, part 1 of the 3 part super annoying fetch quest of doom saga is over! See ya soon, everyone! This is Pax the Dreamer, signing out.**


	41. Chapter 41: SAFQoD Part 2

**Hidden Author's Note:**

**Coron: Hey, don't you think you should be working on your chapter?**

**Pax: Relax, I have until Wednesday.**

**Coron: …it IS Wednesday.**

**Pax: Oh come on, quit… fooling… *Looks at calendar* HOLY CRAP YOU'RE RIGHT! I ONLY HAVE FOURTY MINUTES TO WRITE A CHAPTER I NEVER EVEN STARTED ON!**

**Coron: If you never procrastinated, this wouldn't happen.**

**Pax: Shut up, who asked you?**

**Coron: Oh, REAL mature.**

**Pax: Yeah yeah yeah, if you'll excuse me, I have to pound out this chapter and blame my lack of writing on… writer's block! Yeah, that's it!**

**Coron: Oh come on, what idiot would fall for that?**

**Pax: Hey, it's worth a try.**

* * *

**Author's Note: I apologize for the possibly poor quality of this chapter, I was hit with writer's block while writing it. So… yeah.**

* * *

_**Chapter 41: The Super Annoying Never Ending Fetch Quest of Doom, Part 2**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Okay, where to next?" I asked Parakarry.

"According to this map I was just randomly given by some unknown force…" Parakarry said, pulling out a map, "the flower holding the magical dirt is right over-"

"Wait wait," I said. "Magical dirt? Wouldn't just regular dirt suffice?"

"Seeing as we're growing a MAGICAL bean stalk, I don't think so," Goombario said.

"But by all logical means, we should be able to grow this beanstalk with just a bean, possibly some magic water to speed up the growing process, and regular dirt," I argued.

"Since when has anything we've done followed the laws of physics?" Bombette asked.

That shut us all up.

"…so where's this magical dirt?" I asked.

"That way," Parakarry said, pointing down a path…

Full of spikes…

And monsters…

And lightning…

And sulfuric acid…

And pendulums with huge blades…

And giant, poisonous insects…

And a partridge in a pear tree.

"Why does it ALWAYS have to be difficult?" I sighed.

"The best things in life are the ones that are a challenge to obtain," Sushi said wisely.

"That's what my mommy used to tell me," Watt said. "…I miss her…"

"You'll be back with her soon enough," Kooper said. "As soon as this quest is over, I'll do everything in my power to reunite you with your mother."

"Thanks, Kooper!" Watt said, hugging him. Unfortunately, only Kooper's HAND had rubber on it, so he was still electrocuted and knocked out.

"Am I the only one who finds this funny?" Bow asked. I wanted to say "yes, you are" but I couldn't honestly say that, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Well…" I said, turning to the death trap that we had to go through. "Here goes nothin'!"

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

Following the Dream Keeper's path, we ended up in a clearing with a giant flower with eyes, hugging herself.

"Excuse me miss," Red Koopa said. "Have you seen a fat Italian plumber?"

"Why yes," she said sweetly. "Yes I have!"

"Where is he, then?" I asked.

"Why he went-" the flower started.

"_**No, don't tell them!**_" she said in a darker voice. "_**I have a bad feeling about them! They're EVIL!**_"

She took a look at all of us.

"_**…okay, maybe not evil, BUT YOU GET WHAT I MEAN!**_" she said, again in a dark voice. "_**They're bad news!**_"

"Oh come now, you don't know that!" she said to herself in a sweet voice. "Maybe they're just friends that are looking for them."

"_**Or maybe they're trying to murder them!**_" dark voice said.

"Oh come now, don't you think that's a little extreme?" sweet voice asked.

"Oh great, another crazy…" I said.

"_**What was that, punk?**_" dark voice asked me.

"Well what do you plan on doing to me?" I asked.

"_**Well-**_" dark voice started.

"No, not that!" sweet voice said. "No one's ever survived that!"

"Survived what?" Jr. Troopa asked.

"_**Survived THIS!**_" dark voice said, pulling out a remote from nowhere and pushing a button. Suddenly, giant laser guns came out of the ground and aimed at us.

"You HAD to ask!" King Goomba said to Jr. Troopa.

"I don't blame him," George shrugged. "I was a bit curious myself."

"Didn't you hear that old saying, though?" Red Koopa asked. "Curiosity killed the cat and all."

"But there's another part to that saying," Jr. Troopa said. "'Satisfaction brought it back'."

"I've never heard that before," King Goomba said.

"It's forgotten easily," Jr. Troopa said.

"I don't see why though," Red Koopa said. "After all…"

As they were discussing the different phrase of curiosity killing the cat and why it's not shown often, or something else stupid like that, I raised a barrier of darkness to protect us from the lasers. I winced as the laser dug into the shield, feeling the pain.

"Are you okay, Coron?" Iuka asked.

"Just… have to… stop… lasers…" I grunted.

"Do you promise not to kill them?" sweet voice asked.

"No," King Goomba said.

"No way!" Red Koopa said.

"I'll always want to kill Mario!" Jr. Troopa said.

"I don't care one way or another," George shrugged.

"I'll destroy ANYONE that steals my Bow…" Nottaboo said.

That saying gave me an idea.

"Hey, Nottaboo!" I said. "That flower kissed Bow!"

"…we're girls," sweet voice said, referring to her two voices. Nottaboo didn't seem to hear this, however.

"EVIL WOMAN STEALING FLOWER, DIE!" he screamed, tackling the flower. I won't describe what exactly he did to the flower. Believe me, you don't want me to. I will say, however, he broke the remote during it, stopping the lasers.

"…I think I've just been scarred for life," Jr. Troopa said.

"I need someone to hold me," Iuka said, shooting a hopeful look in my direction.

"No," I said, getting to the ground and sensing the Dream Keeper's path. Iuka sighed.

"We just wasted five minutes we could have used to catch him," I said, getting up and following the path. "Hustle."

After dragging Nottaboo away from the corpse of the crazy flower, everyone else followed.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Well that wasn't TOO bad," I said, dusting myself off after everyone else made it across the death trap of a pathway.

"I don't even know how we did that, and I did that myself," Kooper said.

"Well, we're here," I said, nodding my head to another flower with eyes under a tree growing crystal berries.

"Hello there!" she said. "Are you here for my soft soil?"

"Well… if your soil's magic, then yeah," I said.

"Here ya go!" the flower said, scooping some dirt around her roots into a bucket and handing it to me.

"That was easy…" Bombette said. "Why do I get the feeling that the water will be MUCH harder to get?"

"I'm sure it won't be that difficult," Sushi said. "I mean, what'll happen? The water will all be gone and we'll have to go on an annoying quest to get it back?"

We all stood in silence.

"Let's… let's just go," I said, heading back to the deadly path. My friends followed.

* * *

**Author's Note: Wow, that chapter was pretty good and I wrote it at the last minute… er, I mean, I got over my writer's block and wrote a pretty good chapter, if I say so myself! Until next time, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out!**


	42. Chapter 42: SAFQoD Part 3

**Author's Note: The thrilling conclusion to this annoying fetch quest! Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Chapter 42: The Super Annoying Never-Ending Fetch Quest of DOOM! Part 3**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Just one last ingredient to go," I said as we walked toward Lily's place of residence.

"Should be easy, too," Goombario said. "We just drop by, scoop some magic water into a bucket, and be… on… our… way…"

He had slowed down to a stop because we reached Lily's home, but only to find her (she's was a water lily, of course) sitting on the bottom of a dried up lake. Her "skin" was dried up and cracked, and she looked about ready to drop dead any minute.

"Oh man, this is terrible…" Kooper said.

"I know!" Bow said. "How are we supposed to get the water now?"

"…someone's dying down there, and all you care about is the water?" Bombette asked.

"Of… of course not!" Bow lied. "I was just worried about… how we get the water back for her!"

She shot a quick glance at me, but I wasn't there. I had already slid down the empty lake and was standing by Lily, examining her.

"You okay?" I asked her as everyone else slid down.

"No…" Lily said in a horse whisper. "My water… all my precious water…"

"What happened?" Bombette asked as Sushi began spraying water on Lily to help her (You don't wanna know where the water came from, trust me).

"It was… the Lakitu…" Lily moaned. "They… stole it… the… the Water Gem…. they took it… to the hedge maze…"

"Got it," I nodded, standing up. "Sushi, stay here and keep Lily breathing. Everyone else, with me."

With that, we made a mad dash toward the hedge maze.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"…you have got to be kidding me," I said, looking at the death trap of a trail laid out in front of us.

"Maybe there's a way around?" Iuka suggested.

"Yeah, I wish," I said. Suddenly, Goompa appeared in a puff of smoke, in very revealing clothes.

"I'm your magic genie!" he said. "You all get three wishes!"

"GOOD STARS!" King Goompa shouted, looking away.

"IT BURNS!" General Shy Guy shouted, covering his eyes.

"I'M BLIND!" Red Koopa shouted, his eyes wide and unmoving.

The rest of us gave similar outbursts.

"Hmph!" Goompa said. "If you don't want to see me, you can all just say so! Honestly, that's just RUDE!"

He stuck his tongue out at us before disappearing in another puff of smoke.

"I'M STILL BLIND!" Red Koopa shouted, tumbling into the path. A few minutes later, all the traps were set off and deactivated. As for Red Koopa… well, we bowed our heads while George played "Taps".

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Here's the Hedge Maze," I said. "The Water Gem's somewhere in here."

"In front of us was, indeed, a giant hedge maze. The inside was so dark it was impossible to see more than five feet ahead into the darkness. I was reminded of the Third Task in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

"Quick, we gotta look everywhere in here!" Bombette said.

"Oh relax," Bow said. "It's just a hedge maze. How big could it possibly be?"

* * *

_**Quite a bit of time later…**_

* * *

"Okay, I stand corrected," Bow said after we'd walked through the maze for quite a bit of time. Watt was charging itself up as much as it could so we could see well through the darkness. Parakarry's wings were still sore from when he attempted to fly up and see the maze at a bird's eye view, which resulted in some barrier zapping him worse than Watt's electric discharges.

"Not to sound like a downer or anything, but… I don't think we're going to find that Water Gem or get out of this maze," Kooper said. "It's big enough to have its own zip code."

(What he didn't know is that it actually did, but that's an entirely different story all together.)

"Guys…" I said. "I'm going to hate myself for this… but I think the only way we can get through this maze is if we… think like Goompa."

Everyone gave collective gasps after I said this.

"Think about it," I explained. "He's never lost, he's never trapped… maybe if we think like he does, we can get out?"

"As much as I hate that idea," Bombette said, "I have to agree with you. Let's agree to never mention this again, though."

"Agreed," I nodded. "Now, everyone put yourselves into Goompa's mind frame."

We all stood there and thought.

"Hey Goompa, make your mother stop trying to make me take that nasty medicine!" Goombario said.

"Hi Mario, I'm going to annoy you and Bombette to the point where you'll want to strangle me!" Bombette said.

I bit my lower lip, thought for a minute, then sung:

"_Hello darkness, my old friend._

_I've come to talk to you again._

_Because a vision softly creeping,_

_Left it's seeds while I was sleeping._

_And the vision that was planted in my brain,_

_Still remains,_

_Within the Sound of Silence._"

I was about to begin the second verse when, suddenly, we were catapulted out of the Hedge Maze and in front of a Rose.

"Whoa, nice entrance…" she said.

"Thanks," I said, getting up and dusting myself off. Looking back at her, I noticed she was holding the Water Gem.

"Hey!" I said. "Look, we need that gem right now!"

"Why is that?" the rose asked.

"Lily's drying up without that gem!" Watt said. "Without it, she'll die!"

"Hmmm…" the rose said, thinking. "Well, I never did like Lily anyway. Besides, this gem's so pretty and shiny. Only the most beautiful flower here deserves such a pretty and shiny thing.

"Man, this flower's a jerk!" Bow said. "She's just so conceited, like she thinks she's the only person in the world that matters anything!"

"…said the pot," Bombette whispered to me. I bit my tongue to keep myself from laughing.

"So I'm not giving this Gem away," the flower said. "If you want it, you'll have to fetch me something even prettier!"

"Alright, listen up!" Bombette said. "Someone's DYING without that Gem! If you won't give it to us the easy way, we'll have to take it the hard way!"

"And what would that hard way be?" the Rose asked. Parakarry, in turn, held out a shovel he picked up earlier.

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!" the Rose said, throwing the Gem at me. "HERE!"

"Thank ya kindly!" I said before dashing back to Lily.

"I swear… I WILL get my revenge on you…" the Rose growled to herself. "You watch your back, 'cause I'm gunning for you."

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"I just had the strange feeling someone will be joining us soon," Jr. Troopa said.

"Probably nothing," King Goomba assured him. We were soon in front of a flower standing under a tree growing crystal fruit.

"Why hello there!" she said kindly. "Would you like some of my soil? Or maybe a crystal fruit before you go?"

"No," I said. "Have you seen an Italian plumber with a group of strange creatures with him?"

"You calling my Bow a strange creature?" Nottaboo snapped at me.

"Wait a minute… that reminds me," Iuka said. "Why are we asking for directions if Coron can sense where this Mario person's been?"

"Do you have any idea how exhausting that is?" I asked her. "If at all possible, I'll take directions over using my Nightmare tracking powers."

"Sure, I can tell you!" The flower said kindly. "And why, pray tell, do you want to know where he is?"

"We want to destroy him!" Jr. Troopa said.

"What?" the flower said. "But… but he's my friend… I don't think that would be nice if I told you where he is. But… but I always help people… but if I help you, it'll be hurting him… but if I help him, I'll be hurting you…"

Her mind couldn't take this conundrum, so her head exploded.

"…let's just pretend we never saw that, shall we?" General Shy guy asked.

"Agreed," the rest of us agreed before I began tracking Mario again.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"We're back!" I shouted, running in with the Water Gem held high above my head. "Quick, where do we put this?"

"Into… the… pedestal…" Lily panted. I found a pedestal with a hole in it, and placed the Gem in there. Suddenly, water blasted into the area, and only a few seconds later, the entire place was full with magic water. Both Sushi and Lily looked happy and refreshed.

"Aaaaah…" Lily said. "Thank you so much! This feels great!"

"No problem," I said as Sushi climbed out onto land. "Do you mind sparing a bit of that water? We kind of need it."

"Oh, of course!" Lily said with a nod. "It's the least I can do in return!"

Parakarry pulled out a bucket and scooped up some water. Carefully keeping it balanced, we headed back to the tree.

* * *

**Author's Note: Actually, the real reason they're asking for directions is because I can't think of anything else for them to do with the flowers, but I already broke the fourth wall so much back in chapter 40, it needs time to heal. So… yeah. See you Monday!**


	43. Chapter 43: Blister in the Sun

**Author's Note: If you don't get the title of this chapter, look up the Violent Femms. Great band… Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

_**Chapter 43: Blister in the Sun**_

* * *

"We got it!" I said, holding up all the stuff to the tree. "It wasn't easy, but we did it!"

"That's great!" the tree said. "Now all you have to do is convince the sun to return to the sky!"

"Yeah, all we-say what?" Goombario asked.

"Oh, did I forget to mention?" the tree asked. "Since the clouds appeared, the sun's been too depressed to rise into the sky! Without him, the beanstalk won't be able to grow!"

"…uh," I said, "you do realize that the sun doesn't really rise, right? The sun's actually a giant flaming ball of gas, millions of miles away. The appearance of it rising and setting is simply because the Earth is spinning, so at any one point on it, the sun appears to be rising and setting while we spin."

Everyone was silent for a moment, then burst into hysterical laughter.

"Giant ball of… oh, that's a good one!" Parakarry laughed.

"Mario," Bombette laughed, "you know I respect you and your ideas… but that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life!"

"Next thing you'll be telling us is that the stars are really flaming balls of gas too, thousands of millions of miles away!" Goombario laughed.

I remained silent.

"Hoo… that was hilarious," the tree said, finally calming down. "The way you seemed so serious while saying it, too… anyway, seriously, the sun's on top of the tower to the west. See if you can cheer him up."

"Alright then…" I said. "Let's go."

We made our way to the tower.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

We were all stumbling through the dark hedge maze, searching for the Dream Keeper.

"My Stars, how big is this place?" King Goomba asked.

"Quit complaining," I said, following the Dream Keeper's tracks. Suddenly, I stopped short.

"What's wrong?" Iuka asked.

"The tracks, they just… stop," I said. "As if they just vanished."

"I blame Goompa," Jr. Troopa said. "It's his fault we lost Red Koopa…"

"HE WAS SO YOUNG!" General Shy Guy bawled.

"HE WAS SO NINJA-Y!" Jr. Troopa bawled as well, hugging him. I gave an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose in annoyance. George, meanwhile, was examining the spot they disappeared at.

"This ground looks… different," George said. "Like it's connected to something underground."

"I have something underground…" Nottaboo said. "A perfect chamber for me and Bow… and anyone who gets in my way, I'll pull down there and cut them and make them scream. And when it's all over, I'll listen to the Sound of Silence from-"

At "Sound of Silence", we were all launched into the air.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Whoa, some tower…" I said, looking around. We were at the top of an old tower, several parts seeming to be falling into ruin. Ahead was a sun with a face. Not like the bad suns in Super Mario Bros. 3, but more like the illustrations for living suns you see in African stories. He turned to face us.

"Oh... hello," he said. "Nice to have visitors…"

I wanted to point out several flaws with this, the smallest being how he could light up Flower Fields from here and why we weren't burning up in the heat from being close to him, but I figured I should just save my breath.

"We're here to try and convince you to go back into the sky," I said. "We need your light in order to grow the beanstalk so we can fight the monster causing all this."

"Oh, how I wish I could…" the sun sighed. "Unfortunately, it's not that easy. These clouds are being created by an evil cloud making machine somewhere at ground level. They don't allow anyone or anything to pass them, no birds, no light, and especially no sun. I can't get through it, even if I wanted to."

"Wait…" Bombette said. "Why would the cloud machine be on ground level? Wouldn't it make more sense to have it above the clouds so it would be impossible to destroy it, therefore preventing us from thwarting whoever's causing this?"

"This is one of Bowser's minions we're talking about," Sushi pointed out.

"…good point," Bombette sighed.

"Where is this cloud machine, then?" I asked as Parakarry pulled out his clipboard, ready to write down where it was.

"Directly east from here," the sun said. "Just past a field of impassible spikes."

"Impassible?" I asked.

"We don't know the meaning of that word!" Bombette finished.

"Well…" the sun sighed, "good luck to you. I'll just be here, reading."

He then turned back to a book sitting down on the ground, the title being "Sunrise, Sunset".

"Be seeing you," I said with a wave, turning back and heading down the tower.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

We landed in a heap in front of a living Rose that was trying to replant herself into a pot inside a wagon.

"…who are you and what are you doing?" George asked, picking himself up.

"Oh, can someone help me up?" Iuka asked, casting a hopeful glance at me. Unfortunately for her (and to my great amusement), General Shy Guy helped her up.

"Uh… thanks," Iuka said.

"No prob, sweet thing," General Shy Guy said with a wink. Iuka took a step back.

"My name is Rosie," the rose said. "I'm trying to make myself mobile so I can find and destroy Mario. He stole something pretty from me…"

"We're on a quest to destroy Mario too!" Jr. Troopa said. "And seeing as one of our friends was just killed, we have an open space!"

"Replant me and carry me with you so I can destroy Mario and I'll help you past the hedge maze," Rosie said.

"Deal," I said, mainly because I didn't want to go through that terrible maze again. We (as in George) replanted Rosie into the pot and began dragging the wagon with us.

* * *

**Author's Note: Just makes you wonder how Pax and Co. got past the hedge maze, don't it? Well, that's one plot hole I'm not exploring since this is already updating late as it is. Also, I don't think there's a real book called "Sunrise, Sunset" I just made it up. If you do happen to find a book like that, though, send me a PM so I can check it out. Who knows, maybe it'll be an entertaining read? Until Wednesday, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out.**


	44. Chapter 44: New Partner, Old Tactics

**Author's Notes: I AM SO SORRY, EVERYONE! But, I'm finally back and on the saddle! Not sure how often I can update, but… seeing as my Mom, after reading my story, wants an ending and won't stop bugging me until I update, I'm updating. Well… here we go!**

* * *

_**Chapter 44: New Partner, Old Tactics**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"…so I'm thinking that touching it would be a bad thing, right?" I asked. "Yet the first thing you're supposed to do is touch it anyway. Know what I mean?"

"…no," Goombario said. "Not at all."

"Bah," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "I'm sure you'll understand sooner or-"

"Hey!"

We froze and turned to see a Lakitu floating behind us. He looked like… well… you know those people who try their hardest to look cool, but they fail miserably? That's what this guy looked like.

"Hey…" he said softly. "I'm… uh… name's Spike… 'Sup?"

"Aren't you one of Bowser's minions?" Bombette asked suspiciously, getting into battle position.

"Uh… yeah, yeah I am," Spike replied with a nod. "I'm here to destroy Mario. You… are him, right?"

"The one and only," I said, pulling out my hammer. "Sorry dude, but I'm not going down without a fight."

"O-okay then," Spike stuttered, visibly shaking as he got into battle stance. "B-bring it…"

I dashed forward, hammer held high. Spike tried to pull out a spiked ball to attack me with, but I slammed it out of his hands and flipped over his head, delivering a devastating blow to his skull. He cried out in pain as he fell to the ground. He shakily got back up, though was knocked back by a well-placed explosion from Bombette. After being beaten to a pulp by Sushi, he was curled up on the ground, crying, begging for mercy.

"HEY!" a female voice screamed. Bow, who was about to deal a blow to the crying Spike, was knocked down by a female Lakitu, glaring down at us all.

"Don't you DARE lay a finger on my Lakilester!" she shouted, hugging "Spike."

"Ah, Lakilulu…" Spike-er, Lakilester said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute…" I said, shaking my hands as Bow forced herself back up. "What's going on here? Lakilester? And you, there! All this and that and… stuff!"

"…wow," Lakilulu said sarcastically. "What an incredible vocabulary you have."

"Hey…" I warned.

"Please," Lakilulu continued, "don't hurt him! It's not his fault he's fighting you! He's being forced! If you must take one of us, take me instead! I can't bear to have him out of my life!"

"Lakilulu, no," Lakilester said, getting up and putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's my job, I failed. I must take the punishment."

"But it's not FAIR!" Lakilulu cried. "You're being forced!"

"But I don't want you to sacrifice yourself," Lakilester said, taking her hand in his. "I love you, Lakilulu. You say you can't bear to be without me in your life. I feel the same with you. I don't want you to leave my life."

"Oh, Lakilester…" Lakilulu said, wrapping him in a hug. "If anything, we'll leave together."

"Together forever," Lakilester agreed, hugging her back.

"Uh… can I interrupt?" I asked.

"What?" Lakilulu asked.

"We're not going to kill you," I said. "Believe it or not, we're not evil, heartless antagonists who enjoy separating couples."

"…wait, really?" Lakilester asked.

"Really," Kooper agreed.

"What do we look like, cold-blooded killers?" Parakarry asked.

"Well…" started Lakilester, glancing at Bow. She, in turn, growled.

"But hey," I said, "we're going after Bowser and his minion. I'm sure you'd be a great addition to the team, if you want to get back at him."

"R-really?" Lakilester asked, his face lighting up.

"Well," I said, "I can't speak for all of us, but I'm sure most of us would be willing."

"Of course!" Bombette said with a grin, standing on the balls of her feet.

"You'd make a great addition, I just know it!" Goombario encouraged.

"The more the merrier!" Kooper nodded.

"What he said!" Parakarry said, nodding to Kooper.

"Hmph, I guess…" Bow said.

"Yay, a new play mate!" Watt cheered, dancing in the air.

"I don't mind at all," Sushi smiled.

"Then I guess it's settled!" I said, nodding. "Welcome to the team, dude!"

"G… great!" Lakilester said, grinning wildly.

"Wait," Lakilulu said. "Let me come, too."

"Lakilulu," Lakilester said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "please, don't follow. This is something I have to do myself."

"Oh," Lakilulu said, putting her hands on her hips, "if you think I'm just going to be the kind of girl who sits by and lets you take on all the action, you're NUTS. You and me are a package deal, you can't have one without the other."

"Lakilulu…" Lakilester sighed.

"If I can interrupt," I said, "we already have a large enough group as it is, at nine. I think ten might just be a tad too much."

"But-" Lakilulu started.

"Lakilulu," Lakilester said, taking her hand in his, "I promise you I'll come home safe. Just, please… do me this one favor and keep yourself safe."

Lakilulu stared into Lakilester's eyes for a moment before sighing.

"You're not gonna budge, are you?" she asked. "Fine. But you owe me BIG time when this is over."

She leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"Stay safe," she whispered before flying off. Lakilester stared into the sky after her.

"Alright!" he said enthusiastically, turning around to face us. "I'm ready! Let's go take down this thing!"

"Next stop: The Cloud Machine!" Bombette said.

"Once we take that down, we can finally finish the baddie and end this terror!" I nodded, leading the way east.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"…so then she was all like 'No way!' and I was all like 'Uh, yeah way!' And then we were both like 'ohmaigosh!' and then HE was all like 'What the heck?'!" Rosie said.

"Oh no he didn't!" Jr. Troopa said, tsk-ing and shaking his head.

"I swear," I growled, gritting my teeth, "if that flower says one more annoying word, I am going to sick Nottaboo on her…"

"She's been alone for who knows how long, you must remember," Iuka said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "She's lonely. She wants to talk."

I glared at her until she removed her hand.

"It doesn't really help that the little puddle of masculinity is draining from these morons," I hissed, nodding to them.

"Okay," King Goomba said, "just because I had a mannie-peddie ONCE doesn't mean I get branded for life!"

"But… you don't have any hands," George noted.

"Bah, details, details," King Goomba shrugged off.

"We're getting closer to Bow…" Nottaboo said. "She's getting closer, I know it. I can FEEL her, like I will feel her soon… the knife in my hand, the blood on my-"

"OKAY, like, TMI," Rosie said.

"Lol!" Jr. Troopa said.

I twitched.

"Just… all of you, shut up," I sighed, exasperated. "Rosie, where do we go now? The exit?"

"Oh," Rosie said, looking around. "It's here where the guide comes around."

"Guide?" Iuka asked. "What guide?"

"The guide who takes us through the maze!" Rosie said, rolling her eyes. "How do you think anyone gets through here?"

I was about to snap there and slaughter her when Goompa jumped in, dressed in a guide outfit.

"Welcome to the Maze of Never-Ending Doom!" he said cheerfully. "I'm Goompa, and I'll be your guide!"

"Oh Lord, not this again…" I growled, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" General Shy Guy shouted. "YOU KILLED RED KOOPA!"

He screamed as he ran at Goompa.

"Clap on!" Goompa said cheerfully. There were two claps, and we were suddenly in the middle of the air back in front of the tree. We all screamed as we fell down to the ground.

"Ow…" Rosie said, her wagon tipped over.

"Hey, it's them again!" the great tree shouted. "GET THEM!"

All the bud-creatures jumped on us, and we all had to fight them back.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"…what's going on over there?" Lakilester asked, pointing to the bud-creatures attacking Coron and company.

"Hopefully, no one we'll have to confront," I said, pushing him along quickly. "Quick, before they catch sight of us…"

With that, we continued east toward the cloud machine.

* * *

**Author's Notes: …OH. MY. GOD. It's back! The wall that was keeping me at bay is gone! The words are flowing off my fingers again! Spread the word, everyone: Pax is back, baby! My hiatus is officially OVER! I can't guarantee an update every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but I CAN guarantee a new chapter every week, and I'll do my best to update those days! This is Pax the Dreamer, signing out! Man, it feels good to type that again…**


	45. Chapter 45: I'm a Cloud Machine!

**Author's Note: And here we have it, another chapter! Let's do this thing!**

* * *

_**Chapter 45: I'm a **__**Cloud Machine!**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"There it is," Lakilester hissed, pointing at a large machine pumping out yellow-ish smoke. We were hiding behind a large-ish rock and watching a few monsters hanging out around the machine. "The evil smoke maker…"

"How is it evil?" Bombette asked.

"It makes cigarette smoke…" Lakilester replied.

"Screw you, smokers…" I muttered. Then, louder: "So, we destroy the machine then?"

"Wouldn't that cause a massive amount of smoke to blast out and damage everything on ground level?" Kooper asked. "Not only that-"

"No, we can smash it apart and the smoke will fade," Lakilester replied.

"What logic is there in that?" Kooper asked.

"What logic has there been in any part of our adventure?" Parakarry replied.

"Especially when Goompa's involved…" Bombette added.

"But he's not here right now, so I guess we'll have to do this ourselves," I said, gripping my hammer tight in my hand. "Okay, here's the plan…"

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"We're surrounded!" Jr. Troopa said. Indeed, we were surrounded by the Buds, who were much better fighters than I gave them credit for.

"Coron, save us!" Iuka screamed, hugging me. I growled, both at Iuka and at the Buds.

_Lord of Nightmares,_ I thought, _I know my orders were to harm none but the Dream Keeper, but I request permission to use my full power to attack these creatures that are ready to destroy me._

At first, I heard nothing. Then…

_**Permission granted.**_

With a grin, I prepared my claws.

"I suggest you lay low if **you don't want to be killed**," I said, allowing my instincts to kick in. The darkness in my voice proved it.

I dashed toward the wall of Buds, my claws held high. I slashed the first few to ribbons, then turned around, getting on all fours. I don't know if the idiots hid or not, all my instincts were focused on killing.

"Get him!" a brave Bud shouted, running at me. I jumped up and used my foot claws to jump off him. As his corpse laid behind, I slashed through waves of Buds during my flight until I hit the tree.

"AUGH!" he screamed. "GET-HIM-OFF!"

Ignoring him, I back flipped off him, slashing a few Buds when I landed, then dashed forward on my hind feet, my hands held back, my head leaned forward. I then began running UP the tree. After reaching the top, I jumped off, curling into a ball as I launched high into the sky. I built up a wave of darkness, then released it into a huge blast once I reached the peak. The darkness gathered into clumps and rained down on the unsuspecting Buds below, bathing the few that hadn't already run in pure darkness that would have otherwise infected them. As it was, however, they just burnt as if the darkness was a raging fire. When I landed, I looked around at the carnage I caused, pleased with myself. My instincts were fading, and I began thinking logically again. I turned to face the tree.

"Boo," I sneered.

The tree fainted.

"…THAT WAS EPIC!" a voice called before Jr. Troopa tackled me, wrapping me in a hug.

"What the-" I started.

"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life!" General Shy Guy said, following in Jr. Troopa's footsteps.

"Oh Coron, you're okay!" Iuka said, wrapping me in a hug.

"Would you all-" I started.

"Dog pile on Coron!" King Goomba shouted, and soon, I found myself under a pile of all the morons, excluding George. I made a mental note to reward him for that sooner or later.

"Three cheers for Coron!" Jr. Troopa said as I was picked up. "Hip-hip…"

"Horray!" everyone else cheered.

"Hip-hip…"

"Horray!"

"Hip-hip…"

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Hi there, mister!" Watt said, floating up to the monsters waiting near the machine.

"Aw, look at this cute little thing!" one said, directing his friends to see it. "Isn't it the cutest thing you ever saw?"

"Aw, I just wanna give it a big hug!" another said, floating forward and wrapping his arms around Watt.

_**ZZZZZZAP!**_

The now-unconscious monster lay in a smoldering mound on the ground. The others backed away slowly when something tapped them on the shoulder.

"Boo," Bow said before jumping at and beating the living crap out of another monster. The remaining ones tried to run off, but Goombario and I intercepted them and beat them down.

"Okay Bombette, the ball's in your court!" I said. Bombette nodded and walked up to the Cloud Machine while we ran away and hid behind a large rock. Suddenly…

BOOM!

Large chunks of smoking metal landed around us. We stuck our heads up to see Bombette standing proudly in a clearing with a large black spot laying on the ground where the machine used to be.

"Way to go Bombette!" I grinned, pumping my fist.

"Yeah, I know," Bombette said smugly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I'm good."

Suddenly, everything seemed brighter. We looked up to see the clouds parting, and the sun rising into the sky, shining down on us all. All the wilted plants and flowers around us suddenly began to bloom and come back to full color and life.

"Sweet, now that female Toad has a purpose in life again!" Kooper said.

"…?" Lakilester tilted his head in confusion.

"Long story," Parakarry said. "You'd have to be there."

"Ah," Lakilester nodded.

"Anyway…" I said, pulling out the dirt, bean, and water. "Here seems like a good enough place to grow this beanstalk."

"Hey there!" Goompa said, walking up to me with a cow. "I'll trade you this old cow for your magic bean!"

"…okay," I said, "for starters, you have the situation reversed. Jack sold his cow for the beans. Secondly, if you think I'm gonna give this to you, you're even crazier than I already knew!"

"Uh… I'm sorry, but who is this?" Lakilester asked, nodding to Goompa.

"The craziest old man you'll ever meet," Bombette said. "And annoying."

"Your words hurt me, Queen of Finland!" Goompa said, a single tear running down his face. "I should have the Jack arrest you for treason!"

Suddenly, a giant card, the Jack of Spades, appeared, holding an axe.

"Oh, that figures," Bombette sighed.

While I pulled out my hammer and battled the giant card along side Bombette, Lakilester took the soil, placed it on the ground, buried the bean in it, then watered it with the magic water. Suddenly…

FWOOSH!

A huge beanstalk shot up toward the sky! Leaves grew on it, creating a spiral staircase up.

"Alright!" I said as Bombette blasted the Jack into Goompa, knocking both back. "Let's do this!"

With that, we all ran up the Beanstalk toward the sky.

* * *

**Author's Note: Woot, I got this out Monday after all! I'll see you either Wednesday or next week, but until then, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out!**


	46. Chapter 46: Great Battle Above Clouds

**Author's Note: Yes, you read that description right. This story's rated T from here on out. I figured I could do a LOT more with Coron and such if K+ wasn't holding him back. So now, we got us some ACTION! WOOT! *Ahem* So sorry. Anywho, let's get this puppy started, shall we?**

* * *

_**Chapter 46: Great Battle Above the Clouds**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Okay," I said when we reached the top of the Beanstalk, "I can name two things right off the bat that's wrong with this picture."

"Let's hear them," Bombette said, making sure to keep her eyes up. "It can't possibly make any less sense than what we've been through so far."

"Well…" I said. "1) This Beanstalk can't possibly be any higher than that huge tree we climbed a few days ago, yet we climbed it much faster and we're obviously higher. And 2) How the HECK can we be standing on clouds? Obviously, they're more smoke than they are solid, we saw that when they were being created."

"…okay, I was wrong," Bombette said. "That makes the least sense of our entire adventure, and that's saying something."

"Granted," Lakilester pointed out as he floated up onto the yellow cloud with us, "the cloud thing can be explained by pointing out that clouds act differently in this world than it does in your world."

"What about the Beanstalk thing?" Bombette asked.

"Not even the Star Spirits can answer that one," Kooper said. "And we can prove it, we have five of them."

"Soon to be six," I said, stepping onto the yellow clouds. It barely even poofed under me, like I'd expect it to. It was almost like I was standing on one of those firm spring-less beds (and I can easily compare it, my Mom has one of those. VERY comfy, wish I had one myself).

Bombette, on the other hand, stayed firm on the Beanstalk, keeping her eyes up in the sky.

"…something the matter?" I asked her.

"Just… heights," Bombette said.

"Wait… if you're afraid of heights-" I started.

"I'm NOT afraid of heights," Bombette snapped, looking ahead to glare at me for a moment before she paled and looked up again. "Just… have a bad case of Vertigo is all."

"Well, either way, how come it didn't kick in when we climbed the tree?" I asked.

"At least there, I had some solid ground to stand on," Bombette said.

"What about the zip-line?" I asked.

"I knew I was safe, you were holding-"

She froze mid-sentence, blushing.

"…oh," I said, blushing myself.

The two of us stood there for a few moments.

"Hey," Bow said, irritated, "don't we have a job to do here?"

"R-right," Bombette said, shaking herself off as she cautiously stepped onto the clouds. Everyone else followed suit.

"This way," Lakilester said, nodding forward. We followed him, and after a few twists and turns, we ended up on a large arena-like area, made of clouds. In the center was one huge cloud, yellow like the others, but it actually looked like a living creature.

"Huff N'Puff!" Lakilester growled.

"So," Huff growled, "you've turned on your own people?"

"You are by no means one of my people!" Lakilester said. "You're a monster, sent by Bowser to enslave us and force us to destroy our world! I will NEVER accept you as one of us!"

"Hmph," Huff… huffed. Dear God, will the puns never end? "I suppose you expect to take me down, do you?"

"Yeah," I said, gripping my hammer as I stepped forward. "WE do."

"So," Huff said, crossing his cloud-arms, "you got yourself a gang, did you?"

"Sir, I feel insulted!" I said, mocking being insulted. "We are by no means a gang!"

"Yeah!" Goombario said. "We're heroes, and we're here to beat you down to size!"

"Heroes?" Sushi asked. "Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say that…"

"Oh quit being modest!" Parakarry said. "What else do you call a group of people who battle evil and bring peace to those who are in danger?"

"Good people who enjoy helping others?" Sushi asked with a shrug.

"Well, excluding one," Bombette said.

"For the love of Stars, I am getting REALLY sick of being the butt of all the insults!" Bow snapped.

"Well maybe if you were actually a better Boo," Bombette said, getting in Bow's face, "we wouldn't want to!"

"Get the heck out of my face, you pink little speck!" Bow snapped. Kooper then held me back by my arms.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"You're the only guy here who'd be dumb enough to break up a catfight," Kooper said.

"Oh God, don't tell me you're one of THOSE guys," I said. "The ones who get excited over catfights?"

"Heck no!" Kooper said. "What kind of guy do you think I am? I just wanna keep you from being killed! Once a girl decides to attack, it takes an army to hold her back!"

"Don't you think that's slightly sexist?" I asked. "Granted, with these two it's probably true, but that's because they're just like that, not necessarily because they're girls."

"Uh… are you done?" Huff asked.

"Quiet, Huff!" every single one of us said simultaneously.

"Okay, okay!" Huff said, holding up his hands defensively. "Yeesh, no need to rip my head off…"

"You know what?" Bow said. "I'm tired of your little petty insults, your constant verbal attacks on me, and your constant advances on Mario!"

"Oh, so you're saying I'M the bad guy here?" Bombette asked. "Who here only bitterly stays with the team for the SLIGHTEST chance just to be with Mario like some kind of lovesick puppy?"

"Oh please, I have ten times the chance of getting with him than YOU do!" Bow spat.

"…am I daydreaming, or are two girls really fighting over me?" I asked Kooper.

"No, they're really fighting over you," Kooper said.

Goombario stared intently at the fight.

"Why don't you just go to the Underwhere?" Bombette snapped.

"Fine, I'll see you there!" Bow retorted.

"Pile of sheets!"

"Firecracker!"

"Slut!"

"Witch!"

It was then-pardon my French- all hell broke loose. Bombette ran at Bow, exploding near her. After being buffeted back, Bow drew her fans and threw them at Bombette. The hit caused her to be pushed back, near the edge of the cloud. Keeping her eyes closed, she exploded and launched forward, kicking Bow in the face. Bow landed back, and Bombette jumped into the air, falling toward her. Bow turned invisible in time to have Bombette fade through her, then became tangible again and threw an actual punch at her.

"Thirty coins on Bow," Parakarry said.

"What?" Sushi asked. "Are you actually making BETS on this?"

"Uh…" Parakarry started.

"Besides," Sushi said, "it's obvious Bombette's gonna win! I put FOURTY coins on her!"

Everyone, excluding me, began betting on them. Even Huff made a bet on Bow. I could do nothing but stare at the fight in horror.

Bombette spun on her head, kicking Bow back. She exploded on the ground, then made a beeline toward the staggered Bow. Shaking her head, she responded to Bombette with a hard hit with her fan. Bombette groaned as she was knocked back, once again near the edge of the clouds. Bow didn't hesitate for a moment as she ran forward and slammed Bombette off the edge.

I paled. I stopped hearing. I stopped seeing. The only thing that mattered to me was that Bombette was falling.

"NO!" I screamed. I then did something only a genius would think of:

I jumped after her.

Yeah, in case you didn't figure, that line up there? That was sarcasm. Kinda self explanatory, though.

Anyway, we were falling REALLY fast, and I could tell we were ludicrously high, but I didn't care. The only thing I cared about at that moment was the unconscious (she fainted as soon as she saw herself falling. I mean, can ya blame her? I would have fainted too if I hadn't already have done it) form of Bombette, falling below me. I pointed myself directly down, narrowing myself to make me sort of like a missile, and with less air resistance I fell faster. Catching up with Bombette, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled out the Star Cards.

"Star Cards, ACTIVATE!" I shouted, throwing them out. In a flash, the five Star Spirits appeared and flew below us, matching our speed before grabbing below us and slowing down a bit at a time. We soon reached a dead stop near the ground. I stepped off and placed Bombette on the ground.

"Thank you," I said to the Star Spirits. "Return to the Star Cards."

In a flash of light, they vanished. A few moments later, the cards floated down and landed in my hand. I pocketed them and kneeled down next to Bombette.

"Bombette…" I muttered, putting my hand on her forehead.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

Oh blah-blah-blah, wah-wah-wah, unrequited love, whatever. Stop taking up the whole chapter, Dream Keeper. Really, it's getting annoying.

Anyway, while all that was going on, we made our way to the Beanstalk.

"Can anyone say-" Jr. Troopa started.

"Make a 'Jack and the Beanstalk' reference and I'll rip your flesh to tiny pieces and grind them into fertilizer," I threatened.

"Wow, you're sounding especially creative today," General Shy Guy noted.

"That tends to happen after I go Nightmare," I said. Truth be told, I was feeling REALLY good after letting loose like that. In fact, I would go as far as to say I was feeling the human equivalent of tipsy.

"So, Mario's up there?" King Goomba asked, looking up.

"Like, why don't we, like, totally go up after him?" Rosie asked.

"Wow, you came up with that all by yourself?" I asked as I climbed.

"Burn!" King Goomba said.

"Donchoo be talkin' bout my lady friend like that!" Jr. Troopa said.

"…I try to see the best in everyone," Iuka said as she caught up with me and George (we were the only ones who bothered to climb), "but I'm afraid to say they're making it a bit difficult."

"Welcome to my life," I answered.

Iuka was silent for a moment.

"Hey… Coron?" she asked, holding her arm behind her back.

"What?" I asked.

"Well…" she said. "There's no real easy way to say this… just… um… do you… have a girlfriend?"

"No, and I don't plan on it," Coron said. "We Nightmares usually don't mate like inferior creatures do, we infect others to create more of us. Granted, on the rare times we DO mate, we create pure Nightmares, which are more powerful than the mutts we infect, but still, it's all for breeding the best hunter."

"Oh," Iuka said. The freaky thing was that she wasn't put off by this at all, which was my intention. Damn, guess I better try harder.

"What are you then?" George asked.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you infected, or pure?" George asked.

"What do YOU think?" I asked him. "I'm pure all the way. Born and bred to be a fighter. Took command of my troop at six weeks, and began thinking logically within four months."

"Let me guess, Nightmares age differently than other creatures?" George asked.

"Well duh," I said. "Otherwise we wouldn't be such a destructive force."

I know, it was stupid to be giving so much information to humans, but I was tipsy from coming out of my Nightmare mode. What do you expect?

"So… this thinking logically thing…" Iuka said.

"All Nightmares, when born, are just mindless animals," I said. "They only act on instinct. Some Nightmares, if they live long enough, can begin to have a working mind within a year."

"So your mind working as it does now is a really good thing?" George asked.

"I'm one of the most advanced Nightmares," I said. "Why else do you think I'm the captain of entire armies of them?"

I probably would have gone on to say more stupid things that would probably get me demoted to a foot soldier if we didn't stop at the top of the Beanstalk to see a pink Bob-Omb and a greenish Boo fighting each other.

"What in the world?" Iuka asked, tilting her head in curiosity. My eyes zeroed in on the Dream Keeper. My mind snapped back into focus. I slowly raised my hand, preparing a black arrow that would have killed him, when suddenly…

"NO!" he suddenly screamed. Apparently, the Boo had knocked the Bob-Omb off the edge of the cloud, and the Dream Keeper was not happy about that. So, like an idiot, he jumped off the edge of the cloud after her.

"NO, MARIO!" the Boo shouted, looking genuinely concerned.

"I KNEW IT!" a Goomba with a blue hat shouted, running to the edge of the cloud and looking down. "YOU DIRTY BOB-OMB! MERLIN WAS RIGHT ABOUT YOU!"

The word "Merlin" sent shivers down my spine.

"I can fly down after him and-" a Parakoopa started.

"They're falling way to fast, there's no way you'll be able to catch up with them!" a Lakitu argued.

They all stared over the edge of the cloud.

"Mario…" the Boo said. "I didn't… I didn't want it to come to this…"

Tears were streaming down her face.

"…uh, hello?" a giant cloud-thing asked. "I'm still here, I'm still ready to kill you, and I still have the Star Card."

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO INSENSITIVE!" a Cheep-Cheep snapped, hopping up to the cloud. "Our friend just jumped to his death with another friend, and you can just sit there like nothing happened!"

"Well, I-"

"Watt, get him!" a Koopa said. A small, electric thing-I'm guessing it was Watt-suddenly shot a HUGE blast of lightning at the cloud, causing it to explode and vanish. Left behind was a card full of energy with a picture of a star on it. The Boo floated over and picked it up.

"…C'Mon," she said. "We better… leave."

With a sniffle, the Goomba nodded and turned…

…to face the three of us.

"Oh no!" he said, jumping back. "It's that Coron guy again!"

"And… two other people," the Koopa noted.

"Yo," George said with a wave. "Name's George T. Hobo."

"And I'm Iuka!" Iuka said.

I face-palmed.

"You're not supposed to greet yourself to your targets," I growled before transforming my arms into swords. "Alright you pathetic waste of Dream Energy, time to suffer at my blade!"

With a scream, I ran forward…

…and hit an invisible wall.

"The hell…?" I asked, looking around. In front of us was Goompa.

"Hi!" he said happily. "Do ya like my new invisawall? I just installed it last Tuesday!"

Words cannot describe the rage I felt at that moment.

"See ya!" Goompa laughed, and in a puff of smoke, he and the group of people were gone. I was breathing deeply.

"…well," Iuka said, "at least it can't get any worse."

It was then the clouds under us faded away, and we were standing in thin-air.

"Lord, I hate this dream…" I muttered before we all fell to the ground, screaming.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Catfights and *Gasp* an actual long chapter! What more could loyal fans such as you ask for? I think I just might be able to keep up with my three times a week schedule after all! You know, if I just stay up all night writing and neglect studying for a Geography Test on Asia (which, by the way, I'm taking today)… but I digress! As long as you guys are happy, I'm happy! …just so long as I get good reviews. I mean, I can understand small reviews for small chapters, but I worked my butt off for this one! If you don't have a FF account, anonymously leave a review, at least giving your opinion on the chapter. If you do, then do the same, only not anonymously. You don't HAVE to have a long review if you don't want to, but I at least would like to have confirmation that you guys are reading and enjoying this. Plus, I get some great ideas and inspiration from reviews. Coron? He wouldn't have come into being without Sir Starlll. Give him a round of applause, everyone! Now go read his stories, he has some great ones! Oh, and Keybladeboy, he's been an amazing reviewer as well, been with me since the beginning of this fic. Well, this Author's Note is getting pretty long, I just wanted you guys to know that I really do love writing this story and I am amazed that so many people like it (well, two at least). And starting Friday, we're going to be on track for the second-to-last ark! The end is nearing, everyone! Anyway, I've kept you for long enough. This is Pax the Dreamer, signing out.**


	47. Chapter 47: Reunions and Ninjas

**Author's Note: Awesome, another chapter! I'll keep the Author's Note short this time, since the last one was so long… anywho, enjoy!**

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_**Chapter 47: Reunions and Ninjas**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

My heart jumped when Bombette's eyes finally fluttered open.

"M… Mario?" she asked, sitting up. "Geeze, what happened?"

Before answering, I wrapped her in a bear hug.

"Oof!" she said, taken aback.

"Bombette…" I said, my eyes closed. "You're safe. I can't believe it, you're safe…"

"Yeah, I'm safe," Bombette said. "Why wouldn't… I…"

She slowed to a stop when she remembered what happened. Her face paled again.

"Oh…" she said. "Mario… did you… I…"

"You fell," I nodded. "But don't worry. The Star Spirits helped us."

"The Star Spirits weren't the ones who jumped off a cloud without a second thought for their safety to save a bomb," Bombette argued, pulling away from me to glare at me. "How could you even THINK of doing something that stupid?"

"I just… I wasn't," I said, hanging my head. "The only thing I cared about was saving you. I think I know what you felt like when I disappeared into that volcano. For a scary second, I was afraid you were going to… going to…"

Bombette harsh gaze turned softer as she looked at me.

"Mario…" she whispered. "Your heart is big, but your brain is shriveled up and dying."

I gave a weak laugh as I looked into her eyes. I could see my reflection in them, they sparkled with tears. I brushed her fuse away as I would a human's hair. We leaned forward, closed our eyes, turned our heads, and…

POOF!

Suddenly, our entire group appeared in a puff of smoke and landed on us.

"Thank you for flying Air Goompa!" Goompa said in a headset. "We hope you enjoyed your flight! Please come again soon!"

With that, a flying carpet flew up to Goompa. He jumped on it and flew away, crying "Wee wee wee!" all the way home.

"Oh come on, will we NEVER have a moment without something coming along to break the mood?" Bombette asked, irritated.

"MARIO!" two voices screamed. I was then tackled and hugged by both Goombario and Bow.

"You're safe!" Goombario said happily. "Thank the Stars your safe!"

"Mario… I'm so, so sorry!" Bow cried happily. I pushed her away and glared at her.

"It's not ME you should be apologizing to," I growled, nodding to Bombette. Bow winced as she turned to face her.

"Um… listen," Bow said, toying with one of her bows as to avoid looking at Bombette. "I know, I haven't been… very pleasant. I've been really bitter… and jealous. I just… while we were fighting, I-"

"No, look," Bombette interrupted. "You were right, I was angry and bitter at you, too. The insults may have been a bit much. I'm sorry."

"And I'm sorry, too," Bow said. "Friends?"

"Now let's not get crazy here," Bombette said. "You know I still am not going to be happy about your advances on Mario. Though I promise I'll quit with the insults."

"And I promise to change my attitude," Bow said.

"…I'm sorry, did I fall through a wormhole and end up in a freaky alternate dimension where Bow and Bombette actually get along?" I asked, blinking.

"Don't get used to it," Bombette laughed. "More than likely, we'll give each other the silent treatment from here on out."

"Yeah, silent treatment works," Bow said with a weak laugh. Goombario looked at Bow with a raised eyebrow behind my back.

"Well, guess we better get going," I said. "Back to the tree?"

"Lead the way," Lakilester nodded to me. "Truth be told, I always wondered what other worlds would look like."

With a nod, I lead the way out. Everyone but Bow and Goombario followed.

"What's with you?" he asked. "I thought we both agreed that Bombette was bad news?"

"I know… but…" Bow said. "The look on Mario's face when he jumped after her… can we really do that to him?"

"He'd be worse off if Bombette's just playing with his heart just to throw him into a trap," Goombario argued.

"Right…" Bow sighed. "Well… you know what they say. 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer'."

"Not sure how close I can get to that pink Bob-omb without shuddering…" Goombario said before following the group. Bow sighed and followed.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"Oh Coron, thank you!" Iuka said, wrapping her arms tighter around my neck in a grateful hug.

"Yeah, quick thinking," George agreed.

While we were falling, I had told the two to grab on to me before transforming my hand into a parachute. We were now floating back down to Earth.

I sighed, not bringing myself to answer their questions with a sarcastic comment. If the Lord of Nightmares ever found out about this… no, the correct answer is WHEN he found out about this. He could just read it in his book and know what I've done. Then again, he could have read it before hand and known I would have done it, but I would also do something to redeem myself… grah, I hate stupid prophesies, they always screw with my head.

Anyway, we soon landed back on ground to see Rosie dancing to a radio.

"What the bloody 'ell's going on around here?" I asked as we landed. George let go instantly, but Iuka hung on for a few moments before reluctantly letting go of me.

"OH, LIKE, MAKE IT STOP!" Rosie said, still dancing. "I, LIKE, TOTALLY HATE THIS, YA KNOW!"

"Turns out she has a funky beat!" King Goomba said, dancing himself.

"Who can blame her?" General Shy Guy asked, break-dancing.

"KEEP DANCING, BOW!" Nottaboo shouted, whipping Jr. Troopa.

"I'm telling you, I'm not Bow!" Jr. Troopa sobbed, but he continued to dance anyway.

"…" I had no words.

"Oh, Coron…" Iuka said, her hand still on my arm. "Your skin… it's… cold."

"Yeah, I know," I said, yanking my arm out of her grip.

"Is that another Nightmare thing?" Iuka asked. "Cold skin?"

"No, it has to do with me having an A/B Honor Roll in High School," I said, rolling my eyes. "Of course it's a Nightmare thing, what else? Why do you have warm skin, is it a human thing?"

"I guess…" Iuka said, looking slightly hurt. I didn't really care, though. I watched the group for a moment, thinking for just a single moment about stopping the music so we could all head off.

Then I actually thought logically and realized this was a perfect opportunity.

With a grin, I walked around them and walked away.

"H-hey!" Jr. Troopa called after me as I walked off, Iuka and George following. "You can't just leave me!"

"Can and will," I called back after them, giving them the finger. "So long, losers."

"CORON!" Jr. Troopa cried out, but was held back by a whip.

"Guess it's just the three of us," George said.

"Two more than I prefer, but at least you two aren't complete idiots," I said.

"So… you like us?" Iuka asked hopefully.

"Don't get your hopes up," I told her. She sighed.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

After walking through the door at the base of the tree (I won't get started with the sight we were greeted to when we reached there, I'll just tell you that it wasn't pretty), we appeared back at the garden in Toad Town. It was still sunset, and it was as if no time passed at all.

"You did it!" the female Toad laughed as she wrapped me in a hug, the door behind us vanishing. "Oh thank you!"

"No prob," I said, patting her on the back. "Happy to have your flowers back?"

"More than you can possibly imagine!" she laughed. "Isn't that right, my pretties?"

"_Yessss… we love you…_" the flowers said in a creepy, raspy, collective voice, wrapping around the female Toad and holding her up in the air. She laughed as she pet the flowers like they were her children. Eyes wide, we backed away slowly before breaking into a full-out run to escape.

"Okay, that's going to haunt my nightmares tonight," Bombette said.

"You and me both," I agreed. "So, time to rest, eh?"

With a yawn, I started to the Toad House.

"Mario!" a voice called. Merlin ran up to me and dragged me into his house by the arm.

"H-hey!" I protested.

"I have a visitor who wishes to see you!" he said, throwing the door open and pushing me inside.

"Geeze," I muttered, rubbing my back, "no need to be so rough…"

"This is the one you were talking about?" a Ninja asked Merlin, staring at-wait a second… a NINJA?

"Holy…" I said, blinking hard. "You're a… a…"

The Ninja sighed.

"Yes, I'm a Ninja," he said. "No need to go crazy about it though. It's not really that amazing."

"Are you kidding!" I argued. "Ninjas are awesome! They are the classic enemies of both Samurais and Pirates!"

It was then the rest of my friends entered, and they basically had the same reaction.

"Oh my Stars, a Ninja!" Goombario squealed.

"This is so epic!" Kooper said happily.

"A Ninja, a real-life Ninja!" Bombette said, eyes wide and a huge grin on her face.

"Is it true you can teleport from place to place just by using smoke?" Parakarry asked.

"Wow, looks even better in real life…" Bow said, eyebrows raised a bit.

"He looks really cool!" Watt said, bouncing in the air.

"Personally I prefer the Samurai, but you look really awesome too," Sushi said.

"I always wanted to meet one of these guys," Lakilester said.

"Look, look," the Ninja said, shaking his hands at us. "I know, meeting a Ninja is cool. But I have important information for you, Mario."

"Hm?" I asked, tilting my head.

"There's a snow-covered land to the north," the Ninja said. "There, we have a small hidden village where we look after the Star Children who will one day go into the sky. We also had a vision that one of the Star Cards is nearby."

"The last Star Card?" I asked, taking a step back. "Well… that's great! C'Mon, let's go!"

"What happened to resting?" Parakarry asked.

"Hey, when we're this close to winning, we should go all the way," I said. "Lead the way, Mr. Ninja man!"

"Actually, my name's…" the Ninja started, but he stopped.

"Never mind," he said, shaking his head. "Follow me."

With that, we followed the Ninja out.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Wow… so it was THAT easy to get rid of the team that whole time? Why didn't Coron think of that earlier? Well… doesn't matter now, anyway. We're on the second-to-last ark, and many-a thing is going to come soon! This is gonna be so incredibly epic! Until next week, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out.**


	48. Chapter 48: Pipes and Murder

**Author's Note: This chapter makes me think of a sick and twisted version of Chutes and Ladders… anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

_**Chapter 48: Pipes and Murder**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"We're using a what-now?" I asked, taken aback as I stared at the green pipe sticking out of the ground.

"We're using a Pipe," the Ninja said, once again. "The lands I come from are too far north to reach by any other means of travel. Pipe is the most efficient way of travel to reach it."

"And anyway," Goombario said, "you don't need to be nervous, Mario. You practically invented Pipe Travel!"

"Uh… right," I said, nodding. "Sorry, just… out of practice, I guess. So, do you mind giving an explanation for those of us who haven't used the pipes yet?"

"Oh, it's simple, really," Goombario said. "Just stand on the Pipe, state where you want to go, and prepare for the ride of your life!"

"You've taken the pipes?" Kooper asked.

"A few times," Goombario shrugged. "It's AMAZING! I just… it's hard to describe, but you'll have to try it to see how amazing it is!"

"Okay then," I said. "Mr. Ninja, I think you should go first, so we know where to go to."

"Alright," the Ninja nodded, jumping on the Pipe.

"Shiver City!" he called out. He was then shot down into the Pipe at what I could swear was the speed of a bullet.

"Okay… my turn," I said, mentally adding: _Before I lose my nerve…_

I jumped onto the Pipe, braced myself, and said out loud "Shiver City!"

Have you ever ridden the Aerosmith ride in Disney World? If you can imagine that, only with no music, no funny lighted signs, and you're flying through it without a car, then you have a pretty good idea what Pipe travel was like. I can't tell you whether or not I screamed. I like to think I didn't, but that's just because I'd like to keep a little bit of dignity. I can't tell you how long it was. Maybe it was only a few minutes, maybe it was an hour. All I can tell you for certain, though, is that adrenaline was pumping through my veins the whole ride and I couldn't decide whether I wanted to keep riding or stop.

Near the end of my ride, I saw a light shining in front of me. Honestly, for a second I thought I was moving on to a higher plane of existence, but no. That light turned out to be the mouth of the second pipe, and I found myself airborne for a few seconds before landing flat on my face in a pile of snow.

"I give him a 7 for the fall, but a 2 for the landing," a voice said nearby. I lifted my head to see two penguins watching me. Standing near them was the Ninja. I could swear he was smirking under his mask… cloth… thingy.

"Well…" I said as I got shakily to my feet, "that was… something else…"

"Don't worry, " the Ninja said. "The first time's always the worst."

The way he said it, I felt like there was a hidden meaning behind his words. I didn't have long to contemplate this, however, when my friends began popping out of the pipe, one by one. First came Goombario, who was screaming all the way from his shoot out of the pipe to his land in the snow.

"WOO!" Goombario shouted, jumping out of the snow. "THAT WAS AMAZING!"

Next came Kooper, who was hidden in his shell as he shot out. When he landed, he slid for a tiny bit before slowing to a stop and coming out of his shell.

"Whoa…" he said shakily. "If you need me, I think… I'll be in my shell for a little while longer…"

Bombette was the next one out of the pipe. I managed to catch her in my arms as she fell down.

"Nice save," Bombette said, shaking due to adrenaline.

"Thanks, I thought so," I smiled at her as I put her down.

Parakarry was next, and at the height of his exit-launch, he spread his wings, back-flipped in the air, and landed gracefully on the snow. The penguins nearby clapped.

"Thank you, thank you," Parakarry said, taking a bow. "No need for applause, just send coins-"

It was around then Bow launched out of the pipe and fell on Parakarry.

"OW!" both shouted as they climbed off each other.

Watt launched out then, and I could hear it cry "WEEEEEEEEE!" as it fell through the sky.

"Let's go again!" it giggled.

Sushi launched out next, managing to flip through the air before landing safely on a patch of snow.

"Well, it's not nearly as bad as swimming through major rapids," she shrugged, hopping out of the snow.

Lakilester came out last, and when he came out of the pipe, he launched out FAST. We all watched him as he climbed up, up, UP into the sky…

…

…

…ah, there he is, falling back down.

With a THUMP!, he landed in a thick pile of snow so hard, it caused snowflakes to spray all over us.

"Nice one!" one of the penguins congratulated, clapping.

"Best of them all!" the other said, clapping as well.

"Thanks," Lakilester moaned as he pulled himself out of the snow pile, looking REALLY dizzy.

"Okay," I said, turning to the Ninja. "So, where's this village of Stars you were talking about earlier?"

"To the east," the Ninja said, nodding in said direction. "However, there is one thing I request you do before you head there."

"Hm?" I asked. The Ninja tossed a brown package in my hands.

"Take this to the mayor," he said. "He lives in the big house to the west, you can't miss it."

"Uh… okay," I said. "Sure."

"Great," the ninja nodded. "I'll see you there."

With that, the ninja dashed away eastward.

"Wait…" Bombette said. "If the mayor's house is so close, why did he ask us to deliver this?"

"Rule of Adventuring #4," I said as I turned to walk to the house, "Side quests appear in many different, and sometimes nonsense, forms. Be ready and willing to take them, no matter how they come to you."

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

After weaving through the corpses of the buds in front of the door that connected the Dreams (and before you ask, yes, that is the disturbing sight the Dream Keeper was talking about in the last chapter. What a wimp), we ended up back in the garden, where upon we were greeted to the horribly disturbing sight of the female Toad wrapped up in the snake-like flowers.

"Oh my…" Iuka said, covering her mouth with one hand and taking a step back.

"Now there's something you don't see every day," George noted.

"Like it?" a familiar voice asked. Out from behind the flowers stepped a man with long, pink hair.

"XI!" Iuka gasped, hiding behind me. "What are you doing here!"

"I am here for you, girl," XI said, pointing to Iuka. "Your heart is one of the seven needed to open the final keyhole to Kingdom Hearts."

"What, XIII's key didn't fit?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"Unfortunately, no," XI replied, dead serious. "Shame, too. We thought it was a shoo-in. Well, anyway, step aside so we can remove her heart and shape her rib bones into a key."

"Please, no!" Iuka sobbed in fear.

"Alright, look," I said, getting into battle position. "No one's stealing anyone's hearts today. So I'd suggest you stay the hell out of my way, pretty boy."

"So you're protecting her?" XI asked. "What gain do you have in that?"

"None whatsoever," I said. "To tell the truth, the only reason I'm defending her is because ever second that passes where I look at your face only heightens my urge to beat you to a bloody pulp."

"Oh, so I see you're ready for a fight," XI said with a smirk. "Well, I'll have you know that one time you fought me was a fluke. I was out of my element."

"…we were in a JUNGLE," I said. "That place is full of plant life. If anything, that should have been where your power was strongest."

"S… shut up!" XI said. "It doesn't matter, because I'm going to slaughter you now!"

He held out his arms, and spiked vines crawled on them, hanging off as whips.

"Ha!" XI said. "Prepare to be stabbed and beaten, you little-OW!"

He held his arms close to himself, where upon he screamed again and shook them.

"OH STARS, THESE THORNS ARE PAINFUL!" screamed XI as he flailed around in pain. "MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE, DEAR STARS, MAKE IT STOP!"

"…should we do something?" George asked.

"You kidding?" I asked, grinning. "I haven't been so entertained during my whole trip here!"

I leaned back on the closed door, watching as XI flailed in pain.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

When we entered the house, we were greeted to the sight of a female (at least, I assume she was female, she was dressed like it. It's really impossible to tell with penguins) penguin, sitting at a table and reading a murder mystery novel.

"Uh… hello," I said. "We're here to deliver this to the mayor-"

"SHH!" she shouted, pointing a flipper at us. "He's in the back room, now go! I'm at the climax of the story where Cynthia realizes Billy's the one who's giving the Bean Killer the information!"

"Oh, okay," I said, totally relating to her at that moment. We headed into the back room, and saw in it another penguin, sprawled out on the ground.

"…hey, you okay?" I asked.

No answer. I took a cautious step forward and gently shoved him. He didn't move.

"What happened to him?" Bombette asked. I opened my mouth to attempt an answer for her, but I was interrupted by a scream. I whirled around to see the wife standing in the doorway.

"MURDERERS!" she screamed, pointing at us. "YOU KILLED HIM!"

"Waitwait!" I said, waving my hands. "First of all, he's obviously been gone for awhile now. We couldn't have possibly done it right now. Secondly-"

"MURDERERS!" she screamed, running out of the house. "THEY KILLED MY HUSBAND!"

"Why do I even bother?" I asked, flinging my arms in the air.

Soon, police Penguins ran in, handcuffing us.

"You're under arrest," one said. "Anything you do or do not say will be used against you when we throw you in without trial."

"Wait, don't we have the right of having a trial?" I asked.

Bombette turned to glare at them, as she had no hands to handcuff. Same with Goombario, Watt (who electrocuted the poor Penguin who tried to handcuff it), and Bow simply phased through it.

"Okay, look," I said as Bow un-handcuffed me, "will you at least give us a chance to defend ourselves?"

"What if we refuse?" one police penguin asked.

"Bombette?" I asked. Her fuse lit dangerously as she marched close to them.

"OKAY, TALK!" they said, all backing off simultaneously.

"Alright," I said. "Now, has anyone even bothered to check his pulse?"

"Uh…" No one answered.

"That's what I thought," I said, bending down to feel the side of the mayor's neck.

"AUGH!" he shot up. "COLD HANDS!"

"You're alive!" the wife sobbed, hugging her husband. "What happened?"

"I was putting nick-knacks up, and I guess one fell and hit my head…" the mayor said, rubbing his head.

"…well then, I guess you DIDN'T kill him after all," the police penguins said, un-handcuffing the ones who were still handcuffed.

"Yeah, that's what we were trying to tell you the whole time," Bombette growled, glaring at them. They backed off from this glare.

"Anyway," I said, tossing the package to the mayor, "here's something from a Mr. Ninja."

"Really?" the mayor asked excitedly, opening the package.

"Alright, another nick-knack!" he said, pulling out a snow-globe.

"MURDER WEAPON!" screamed the wife, pointing at us. "Arrest them!"

"I just can't win today," I sighed.

We ran out of the house and toward the Star village as fast as we possibly could.

* * *

**Author's Notes: I know, they were supposed to track down and find someone else who was supposed to wake up the mayor, but I figured "Screw it, this story's getting long enough already." Next chapter we'll be seeing the star town, heading to the ice temple, and working to get that Star Spirit! And Coron… well, you'll see come Wednesday. 'Till then, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out.**


	49. Chapter 49: Stars, Ice, and Infections

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! Nice to see you again! Well… I don't really SEE you, per se. But, you see into my innermost thoughts, so that should count for something, right? Right…? Well, whatever. STARTING CHAPTER! And, if you're wondering, yes, I am in a very silly/good mood. Having a girlfriend tends to do that on Valentine's day.**

* * *

_**Chapter 49: Stars, Ice, and Infections**_

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

Laying sprawled out on the ground, XI panted. Blood seeped from his body.

"So… how… do you like… that?" XI panted.

"Very much, actually," I nodded, looking down on him. I then ran forward and kicked him in his side.

_Hard. _

He turned on his back and coughed up blood as he tried to gasp from the pain of my attack.

"I am going to enjoy doing this," I said. I grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air.

_Permission to infect this scumbag? _I asked mentally.

_**Permission granted, **_the Lord of Nightmares' voice echoed through my head instantly. I grinned sinisterly.

"Oh, this is going to be fun," I dug my claws into his throat. I felt an electrical current surge through my body as the infection shot through me and into his throat. He flailed around, screaming, gripping at my hand, which refused to move. Darkness spread through his body until his entire neck and shoulders were pitch black. I dropped him to the ground and stepped back as I watched the darkness overtake him.

XI screeched in agony as he gripped at his throat. He pulled his hands back at the ice-cold feeling in them and the darkness went along his body like spaghetti strands, covering his entire body in a net-like structure. His flesh started to bubble as the strands pulsed, glowing in darkness. He gave one last roar of pain before his remaining flesh exploded. Standing in his place was a Nightmare, hunched over.

His eyes, in contrast to the pure white I was accustomed to, were now a dark blood red. His skin, instead of pitch black, was a very dark grey, indicating he was a mutt instead of pure-bred. I could practically feel his soul leave his body as he transformed. Iuka screamed behind me and George stepped back in shock.

"What?" I asked. "You're acting like you've never seen someone infected before."

I was met with silence.

"…oh, right," I murmured. I turned back to the newborn Nightmare, who's eyes moved around, looking for something - _anything _- to infect. His eyes wandered before they fell on Iuka. Then suddenly...

He lunged.

"Whoa there," I grabbed him by the throat again. "Not yet. You need some training. Return to the Lord of Nightmares."

The Nightmare that once was XI exploded into black flames and vanished, leaving behind no trace.

"Right," I said, flexing my fingers. I felt REALLY good after infecting a human. Not tipsy, but… I guess you could compare it to how you feel as you relax in a hot tub or warm bath/shower. "Now, we have Mario to track down."

I bent down to feel the tracks and noticed neither Iuka nor George had moved from their spot.

"What?" I questioned, turning to them. "You're not actually _bothered_ by this, are you?"

They had no response for me.

"Hm," I spoke quietly. "Of all the things to be bothered by, it had to be the Infection, didn't it?"

More silence.

"Just remember, that it can be you next," I whispered sharply, smirking, holding up my clawed hand. They seemed to flinch away from me. "Are you sure you still want to travel with me?"

Iuka and George looked at each other, then back at me.

"Of course," they said simultaneously.

I quite nearly fell over.

"Oh _**give me a break**_!" I snapped at them. "You just saw me freakin' turn a human into a monster and you're _STILL_ not scared of me!"

"Meh," George shrugged. "I've seen worse."

"What could _POSSIBLY_-" I stopped mid-sentence, then shook my head. "Never mind, I don't think I want to know."

"And... you still saved me," Iuka said softly, looking up at me. "It may have been... freaky, but you still protected me. This is the second time you've saved me from the Cannibalization. I cannot tell you how deep in debt I am to you now. Even if it takes my whole life, I will repay you for your kindness."

By this point, I was beginning to question both the sanity and intelligence of this dimwitted girl.

"Fine, do whatever the bloody hell you feel like!" I snapped, flinging my arms into the air. "Follow, don't follow, pack a damn picnic for all I care! Just stay out of my way when I go after the Dre-Mario!"

I bent down to the ground and felt the ground, sensing the path that the Dream Keeper took.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

I panted as I leaned against a nearby boulder.

"Phew... I think we lost 'em," I said, looking behind me. I couldn't see any of those Penguin Police, so we were off to a good start.

"Taking a jog, are we?" a voice nearby asked.

"A bit more than a jog, I'd think, but-GAH!" I jumped and spun in the air to see the Ninja standing on the boulder I was leaning against.

"Geeze, how do you DO that!" I asked, putting my hand on my chest to feel my heart patter several hundred times per minute.

"Ninja, remember?" the Ninja asked, hopping down near us. "Anyway, you deliver the package to the mayor for me?"

He was silent when he saw the eight of us glare at him.

"...his wife thought he was killed again, didn't she?" the Ninja asked.

Again, we simply glared.

"...right," the Ninja said. "So, anyway, we still have a village to go to."

Glaaaaaaaaare.

"Would you stop glaring at me like that?" the Ninja asked. "It's kind of off-putting."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Bombette said. "Would you rather I bomb you off the face of the earth right here and now?"

"...okay!" the Ninja said, clapping his hands. "So, I'll see you at the town?"

"That would be the smarter choice," Bow growled.

"Well then... goodbye!" the Ninja sprinted off.

"Mario?" Bombette asked as we began moving eastward.

"Yeah?" I replied, turning my head to face her.

"You don't mind too much if we don't accept any more side-quests, do you?" she asked.

"...it would be going against rule #4 of adventuring, but after that run-in, I really don't mind," I said with a shrug. I turned back forward...

...and jumped back at the sight of a giant monster.

"Boo!" it said in a collective dark-ish voice. "Stay back, bad person! You will not be allowed access to this sacred place!"

We all stared at it.

"Uh... Goombario?" I asked, turning to the Goomba.

"Beats me," he said with a shrug. "I've never seen a monster like that before."

"I have my doubts that even IS a monster," Sushi said.

"Of course I am!" the monster said in a whiny, little kid-like voice.

"…right," I said. "Well, I guess we have no choice but to fight you."

I ran forward and jumped into the air, avoiding a blow the monster struck at me. I swung my hammer down on top of the monster. It screamed in pain as it jumped back, shattering into a whole bunch of tiny star-like creatures.

"YOU'RE MEAN!" they cried as they flew off.

"Well…" I said, blinking. "That was… interesting."

"And short," added Parakarry.

"Yes, short too," I nodded as I continued walking forward. Not long after the run-in with the "Monster" we came upon a small, hidden village. It was filled with Ninjas and tiny star-like creatures. The stars cowered in fear at the sight of us.

"It's him!" one said shakily. "The bad man! Make him go away!"

"Whoa!" I said, holding up my hands and the ninjas advanced on us. "Chill! We're not bad guys! Look…"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the six Star Cards.

"I'm Mario," I said. "My companions and I've been collecting the Star Cards from Bowser's minions. We came on word of one of your ninjas. The last Star Card's supposed to be nearby, I take it?"

The stars lit up (both literally and figuratively) and surrounded us, looking at the Star Cards.

"They're here!" one said gleefully. "They're finally here!"

"Wait…" a Ninja said. "We never sent a Ninja out."

"Huh?" I asked. "Then who-"

Suddenly, none other than Goompa flew in.

"Hi!" he said cheerfully.

"Oh dear God, what is it THIS time?" I asked.

"I'm here to take you to the magical snowy ice temple of coldness!" he said, twirling on the tips of his feet.

"…right," I said.

"Look, unless you're going to zap it right here, we don't want your help, old man," Bombette said, looking REALLY ticked at him. I guess she hadn't let that moment where he poofed everyone in right before we kissed go…

"No, but I will open the door!" Goompa said. He held up an old boot, which glowed and floated into the air. He jumped back and pulled out a giant key, and suddenly, the boot flashed and turned into a giant Keyhole. Goompa spun the key and pointed it at the Keyhole. A beam of light shot out of the tip and into the Keyhole. There was a click, and the Keyhole vanished.

In short, a complete and total rip-off of Kingdom Hearts II.

"The path is open!" Goompa said cheerfully as a cannon appeared.

"…you expect us to go in that?" Lakilester asked.

"Yes please!" Goompa said, giving us the puppy dog eyes.

"Look," I said. "It's gonna take a lot more than that to-"

I then found myself at the mercy of the puppy-dog eyes of every single star in the town.

My will crumbled.

"Oh, alright," I sighed, stepping into the cannon. It turned upward, and I shot out, flying off at an incredibly fast speed.

* * *

**Author's Note: If anyone noticed the Coron part's a bit darker than usual, I'd like to say I got a little help with that. Anywho, next chapter will be in the ice temple, and if you played the game, you know how this will effect Pax/MarioxBombette. Until next time, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out!**


	50. Chapter 50: Behind the Mirror

**Author's Note: Hey, everybody! I'm gonna crack this chapter out and squeeze it for as much as it's worth, so I'll see if I can't finish this ark in this one chapter! Epic, is it not? Also, I have someone helping me with writing a bit darker for Coron. She's beautiful, she's funny, and she's a VERY talented Author! Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce you to the one, the only... MIDNA HYTWILIAN!**

**Midna: **Oh Goddesses, usoda... I'm none of those things. x.x;

**Pax: No need for modesty, you know it's true.-**

**Midna: **-.- Usoda.

**Pax: -Well... everyone else knows it, anyway. And, in the end, isn't that all that really matters? Right? ...right? Am I right, readers? ...wow, you guys are helpful. ANYWAY, onto the chapter! *Confetti***

* * *

_**Chapter 50: Behind the Mirror**_

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

After a gut-wrenching ride through a pipe (If it was up to me, I'd take a dark portal over those things), I was flung into the air and managed to roll to my feet as I landed in the snow.

"Amazing!" a Penguin nearby congratulated, clapping loudly. "Simply amazing!"

"10/10, no doubt! Perfect score!" The second penguin nodded to his companion.

My glare got them both to shut up and shift away from me, thankfully.

"Right," I closed my eyes and focused on the ground. It didn't take long for both George and Iuka to fly out of the pipe and land on top of me.

"Huh," George looked around confusedly, "A lot softer landing than I thought."

"GET OFF!" I barked at them from below, my voice slightly muffled. Iuka jumped off as quick as she could with a gasp. George, in contrast, took his time getting up onto his legs lazily before striding a few steps away and turning back to me like he hadn't of done anything wrong. My anger was overshadowed, however, with how impressed I was by his boldness.

"Wow..." Iuka bent down and scooped up some of the freezing snow in her hands. "What is this?"

"You've never seen snow before?" George questioned. Iuka shook her head.

"I've never seen it on my island," she said. "It's always hot and humid there, nothing is as cold as this... 'snow' is."

Her face lit up as she began playing in the snow. Sourly, I hoped she'd discover what frostbite was, as well as pneumonia.

"Alright," I said, trying to get back on track as I sensed the ground for the Dream Keeper's tracks again. A sharp whistling sound interrupted me and I looked up to see a Penguin in a police uniform staring at me.

"You there!" he said. "Where were you on the night of the fourteenth!"

"...it's the third and I don't have time for this."

"A likely story!" the Police Penguin shouted, grabbing my wrists and pulling out a pair of handcuffs. "You're under arrest! Anything you say-"

I twisted my arms and slipped my wrists out from under his grip before flipping him to his back.

"...doesn't really matter, because your free to go," the police penguin rushed out. He got up and waddled away from me quickly.

"That's what I thought," I growled, straightening myself out, "Let's see..."

Mentally, I went over the tracks I just saw. He turned to the West, but ended up turning back and sprinting east. The smart idea, obviously, would to just cut east.

"Right," I spoke to myself as I headed off eastward. I found both George and Iuka following me as soon as I started walking away, Iuka holding her hands together and breathing on them.

"Snow would be better if it were warmer..." she commented quietly, mostly to herself, as we walked away.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

You know that part in Wind Waker where Link is shot out of a cannon and hits the stone wall face first?

I now know what Link felt at that time.

"Ow..." I moaned as I peeled myself off the wall and fell on my back on the cold stone floor. "Well, on the bright side, the worst is over-"

I was interrupted by my companions flying down from the sky and landing on my stomach.

"Pain..." I whimpered.

"Mario!" Bombette bent down by my side. "Are you okay?"

"Bleeding internally... but otherwise fine," I managed in a horse whisper. After recuperating, we continued onward. It wasn't long at all before we reached a huge castle made of pure ice. The castle seemed to be made so only half was built, but it was built next to a huge mirror, creating the impression of it being a normal castle instead of half-built. Said mirror was actually a huge polished rock wall, polished to the point where it worked like a mirror. It was so perfectly clear, I would have thought it was just a glass wall with doppelgangers on the other side if I didn't know better.

"Alright... either the one who's keeping the Star Card is very cold, or very vain," I said, looking the mirror up and down. "Or possibly both. I swear, if we have to face an Elvis Penguin..."

I grumbled to myself about how horrible a cliche that would be as I opened the door and entered. My friends followed, confused at my words, though by now they knew better than to ask: That would only lead to more confusion on both parts.

The inside of the ice castle was both beautiful and creepy at the same time. Beautiful because of the way the light shined through the windows and reflected on the ice and mirror. Creepy because there was just some strange feeling of... something off inside that castle.

"Hm..." Keeping my hand on my hammer, I moved on through the Ice Castle. Watt stayed behind and began moving around to see it's reflection move along with it. It giggled as it began doing a little dance, but suddenly stopped short and saw that it's reflection was still moving. Watt's reflection suddenly stopped, a nervous look on it's face. Watt suddenly screamed as it flew back after us, freaked out.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

We were walking for a nice bit of time when we encountered a wall of rock, a single Snowman standing in front of it.

"Hi there!" it said in a cheerful voice.

"A talking snowman," I muttered to myself. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Are you looking for the Ice Temple?" it asked curiously. I started to answer no, but George stopped me.

"Doesn't the Ice Temple sound like a prime location for them to go to?" he reasoned.

"Hm... alright, that's a good point, I'll give you that," I said with a nod to him. "So, where is this temple?"

"I can't just tell you," the Snowman said. "First, I must give you a test! I must see how pure your hearts are!"

"Oh here we go," I muttered to myself as Iuka stepped forward.

"...what is your favorite color?" the Snowman asked her.

"Um... green, the color of the nature around my village," Iuka answered.

"Hm... your heart is true and pure, full of light," the Snowman said with a nod. "You may pass."

"Wait, how can you know that from just her favorite-" I started.

"Your turn!" the Snowman said, turning to me.

"Joy." My voice dripped with sarcasm as I stepped in front of the Snowman.

"Hm..." the Snowman said. "What's your favorite food?"

"Spiced Curry," I said, crossing my arms. The Snowman stared at me, then gasped.

"No... oh Stars, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!" it screamed. After covering it's face with it's hands and letting out a loud scream, it spontaneously combusted, leaving behind an opening in the wall, leading forward.

"Well that's just rude," George tsk-ed, shaking his head. "It went and died before it could judge my heart."

"Pick your jaw up and follow before it freezes," I said as I passed Iuka and into the cave that opened, for her mouth was hanging open after the combustion. After shaking her head clear, she followed along with George.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"Dead end," noted Sushi, looking at the wall ahead of us.

"There is no such thing, so long as we have a bomb!" I said, nodding to Bombette.

"And don't you ever forget it," Bombette said as she walked up to the wall. "Fire in the hole!"

One explosion later, we saw, once the smoke cleared, an opening ahead...

...and FIVE Bombettes.

"Wha... what?" I asked, taking a step back as I looked between them all. "What in the world?"

"What the... what's going on?" one Bombette asked, looking around.

"Okay, what the heck?" another asked.

"This is insane!" exclaimed the third.

"Well... this is certainly odd," I said, tilting my head.

"That's putting it mildly," another Bombette said.

"So... wait, I'm confused," Parakarry said. "Which one's the real Bombette?"

"I am!" every Bombette said simultaneously.

"...well that's not helpful," noted Kooper.

"You're tellin' me..." I muttered, scratching my head.

"Look, I'm the one who blew up the wall, I'm the real Bombette," one Bombette said.

"Quit lying, I'M the one who blew up the wall, and I'M the real Bombette!" another said.

The five then began arguing with each other.

"Alright, look," I said. "I know exactly how to solve this."

I turned to the Bombettes.

"Where did we go for our first date?" I asked.

"Movie!" "Dinner!" "Park!" "Rooftop!" "..."

I attacked the four that gave me answers.

"Trick question," I said as I slid back to the real Bombette's side. "We never had a date, first or otherwise."

"Very clever, Mario," a non-Bombette said, and the four turned into what looked like little people wearing sheets with holes cut in for the eyes.

"We shall not let you pass!" another said, and the four ran at me, screaming. I jumped into the air and landed on their heads, one-by-one, bouncing and knocking them out so easily it was pathetic.

"Alright!" I said, twirling my hammer in one hand and pumping my other fist into the air in a congratulatory pose.

"Uh... Mario?" Bombette asked.

"Hm?" I turned to face her. She looked up into my eyes. Then, she did something that utterly shocked me to no end.

She kissed me.

I can't tell you how long we stood there in the kiss, nor can I tell you how enraged Bow looked, or how appalled Goombario looked. I can't tell you how Kooper "awww"ed, and Parakarry said "I knew it!" I can't tell you that Watt was giggling hysterically, nor that Sushi smiled and nodded as if she was waiting for it the whole time, and I especially can't tell you how Lakilester looked a bit confused at first, but then accepting.

To tell you the truth, at that moment, I couldn't even tell you what my own name was.

I can tell you, however, it was the best kiss a bomb had ever given me, hands-down.

After what seemed to be an eternity, or possibly just a few moments, or even both, we pulled away. Our breaths mingled together as our faces rested together.

"Are you two going to get a room!" snapped Bow. This snapped me back to reality.

"We should... we should get going," I breathed, not taking my eyes off Bombette.

"Yeah," she agreed.

We stayed in that position for a few moments longer.

"We have to let go first," Bombette giggled.

"Uh... right," I nodded, stepping back from her and clearing my throat. "Let's go. We have a Star Card to get."

With that, I walked through the opening Bombette blew into the wall, she close at my side. Everyone else followed, grinning. Everyone, that is, but Goombario and Bow.

"Did you... SEE that!" shouted Goombario.

"Truth be told, I'm trying to block it out," Bow growled.

"We're running out of time..." muttered Goombario. "We gotta make Mario realize Bombette's true colors before it's too late."

With that, the two followed close behind.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

We were walking through a dark, damp cave. Water was dripping from the ceiling, and puddles of ice spread across the ground.

"Well, isn't this just a bright and chipper little walk?" George asked.

"We don't need your snide little comments," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Why not?" George asked. "Snide comments make the world go 'round!"

"Let's not get into an argument, okay?" Iuka asked, getting between us and holding her hands out to seperate us. I simply glared at her and she backed away from me.

"Whatever," I scoffed, turning forward. "We're almost there, any-"

I froze mid-step, for ahead of me I saw a giant monster made of Ice. It roared as it raised a club, also made of ice.

"Well this is a surprise," George noted with a nod. Iuka screamed as she dived out of the way. I did the same in the opposite direction. The club landed hard on the ground, missing George by inches. He didn't so much as flinch, however.

"Ooh, nice move," George noted.

"MOVE!" I barked at him, turning my arms into swords. He shrugged and walked to the sidelines while I took his place. I glared up at the ice monster. It glared back. It raised it's ice club, and as it did, I dashed forward and sliced up through it's torso. The sound of a knife scraping across ice was heard as the beast was sliced in perfect halves, split up the middle.

"Hmph." I stood straight up, looking at my work up and down. Then, suddenly, the two halves shook and started acting of their own accord.

"DAMN DIRTY ICE TRICKS!" I snapped as I rolled between two ice-punches. I jumped into the air and spun, slicing each half into fourths. Unfortunately, these pieces began moving after me as well. I held out my hands and my fingers stretched out and turned into a tight net around the ice pieces. I squeezed, and they shattered into thousands of tiny ice cubes.

Then, these ice cubes moved as one to attack me.

"WHY! WON'T! YOU! DIE!" I screamed as I slashed and stomped all the ice cubes. After a few minutes, I stood panting on top of a pile of slush, all that was left of the Ice Monster. Suddenly, a ghostly head appeared.

"_Well done..._" it said in a raspy voice. "_You have defeated my guardian... You are truly powerful, and I must reward this power with-_"

Ignoring it, I moved forward through the cave, George and Iuka following.

"_H-hey... wait!_" the ghost head said. "_...I'm so lonely..._"

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"That's weird..." I said as we entered the new room. I immediately noticed two things.

1) There was a door situated on the mirror.

2) We had no reflections in this room.

"Either we turned into vampires within the last twenty seconds or something funny's going on here," Lakilester said.

"Hm..." I walked in front of the door. "Well, it's the only way forward, so..."

I turned the knob, opened the door, and stepped through. Half-way, I noticed that the "mirror" in the room really was just a polished sheet of glass.

"Huh," I said, craning my neck around the open door to see my friends and Bombette (I exclude her because after that kiss, I feel like we were more than just friends now) standing there. They could apparently see me too.

"So... this castle is really symmetrical, only with a thick wall of glass split down the middle to make it appear like there's mirror," Bombette said as she stepped through the door as well.

"But what about our reflections?" I asked.

My question was answered as soon as I opened the door, revealing our "reflections" who soon transformed into more of those cloaked creatures from before.

"...I'd like to say I'm surprised," I said, "but really, it's more like you have this nagging question in the back of your head and you finally found the answer that's so simple you're more like 'oooh...' than surprised."

One very brief battle later, we were on our way through the other half of the castle. It was a bit confusing at first, because everything was an exact reverse replica of how it was on the other side of the glass, but we eventually got used to it.

After quite a bit of walking through this reversed half of the castle, we found ourselves outside. Snow was falling, and we were on a raised platform. At the center of it was what looked like an empty cloak floating, with eyes and a crown made of ice. Surrounding it's head were three ice creatures. One was round, one was square, and one was triangular.

"Kneel!" the creature said. "You are standing in the glorious presence of the Crystal King!"

"...the Crystal King?" I asked. "Honestly, that's what you're going with?"

"Well... yeah?" the Crystal King said.

"Well... it's not the WORST name I've ever heard," I said. "Just... not exactly the BEST either..."

"Hey, my mother gave me this name!" the Crystal King said.

"You were actually given the name 'Crystal King' at birth?" Parakarry asked.

"Well, think about your name," Kooper replied to him. Parakarry thought for a moment.

"...oh," he said. "Huh. I never noticed that before."

"Really, never?" Lakilester asked.

"Nope," Parakarry shook his head.

"Well I find that a little hard to believe," Goombario added.

"No really, I never knew," Parakarry said.

We all then began discussing Parakarry's name and how he could have never noticed the pun in it before.

"...hey!" the Crystal King said, irritated. "You should be fighting me right now! I have the final Star Card! Me, Bowser's most loyal and powerful follower!"

"You're also arguably the only one we could easily beat with a hair dryer," I pointed out.

The Crystal King had no comment.

Well... at least he didn't for a few moments, anyway.

"But you don't have a hair dryer, do you?" he asked in a tone that suggested if he had a tongue he would be sticking it out at us. "So there!"

"Bow?" I asked, turning to the Boo.

"What?" she asked. "Do you honestly expect me to be carrying a pocket hairdryer with me everywhere I go?"

"Well, do you?" I asked her.

"...yes," she sighed, pulling said hair dryer out of who-knows-where and tossing it to me.

"Thanks," I said, holding the Blow Dryer like a gun, pointing toward the Crystal King.

"No... you wouldn't DARE!" he cried out.

* * *

_**2 3/16 Minutes later...**_

* * *

A small puddle of water remained at my feet, along with the cloak and the Star Card. I bent down and picked it up.

"Alright!" I grinned. "Lucky Number seven! We did it!"

I raised the final Star Card into the sky.

"You hear that, Bowser?" I called up. "We're comin' for you!"

Laughing and cheering, we all walked back into the Ice Castle to leave, the Star Card held high above my head in victory.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

The three of us walked out of the cave and onto a frozen lake. Ahead of us was a huge, frozen waterfall. On the top I could see an area that lead to the Ice Castle.

"Finally," I said, cracking my knuckles as I stared at the top of the waterfall. "Time to get cracking."

Claws extended, I made my way toward the frozen waterfall when I was stopped in my tracks by none other than that paradoxical idiot Goompa.

"Hai!" he said with a grin.

"Out of the way, old man," I growled.

"But you gots to head my warning!" Goompa said. "Too much pollution is causing Global Warming!"

"So?" I asked.

"So," Goompa said, "the major effect of it is about to hit this exact spot!"

He then jumped into a rowboat that wasn't there a minute before.

"What's Global Warming?" Iuka asked.

"Well," George started, when suddenly, the sun blared down at us and everything became MUCH hotter. The water melted, and the currents pushed us all back into the cave, screaming.

Goompa, meanwhile, was singing "Row row row your boat" as he rode his boat down the river.

I swear, orders or not, one of these days I'm going to kill that senile old Goomba...

* * *

**Author's Notes: *Phew* Some Chapter! Sorry for the filler everyone, but this chapter's finally out! Read, review, and enjoy! The next chapter will come out Wednesday as scheduled, and we'll be on our way to the Final Battle! 'Till then, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out.**


	51. Chapter 51: Stairway to Heaven

**Author's Note: Alright, everybody! Now, we're on the express way to the final showdown! We're nearing the end of the Dream, and we're on the final Ark! Well… here we go!**

* * *

_**Chapter 51: Stairway to Heaven, Rocket to Bowser**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"All hail the conquering heroes!" I called out as we reached the star town, holding up the Star Card.

"They're here!" the small Stars cried, circling us. "The Revered Star Spirits, they're all here!"

"Can we see them?" one Ninja asked, eyes a bit wider at the sight of the card. With a nod, I pulled out all seven cards and threw them into the air.

"Star Cards, ACTIVATE!" I cried. In seven flashes of light, the seven Star Spirits were floating there.

"Finally!" Muskular said with a grin, looking himself over. "Nice to be out of that little cardboard prison!"

"Well guys," I grinned up at them, "I saved you all. Does that mean we can take down Bowser now?"

"Yes," Eldstar nodded. "But first, we must get to his castle, which is-"

"In outer space," I finished with a nod. "Yeah, I know."

"But there is hope, young one," the Star with the fatherly mustache-Kalmar-said, patting me on the shoulder. "With the seven of us here at full power, we can create a portal to our world."

"And from there," the pink Star Spirit-Misstar-said, "a ship that can take you to Bowser's castle."

"Stand here," Eldstar said, nodding to a spot in front of him. My friends and I stood there as instructed, and the seven Star Spirits surrounded us.

"Here we go…" I said, putting an arm around Bombette. "The final battle."

"Let's teach that over-sized Koopa a lesson," Bombette nodded in agreement, leaning in toward me. Bow was visibly shaking with rage behind me, but I didn't see it. The seven Star Spirits began circling around us so fast, it appeared as if they were one rainbow-colored line around us.

"Good luck, Mario!" a little star said with a wave.

"Say hi to Twink for me!" another said.

"Give Bowser an extra punch or two for me," a Ninja said with a nod. Suddenly, light shined down from the heavens and shined down on us. I looked up at the sky, and I said one thing that I just couldn't resist saying:

"Beam us up, Scotty!"

With that, we were shot up into the sky, along with the Star Spirits.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

I managed to sit up, shaking the excess water out of my ears. We were standing in a freezing puddle of water near where the snowman once was.

"It's Splash Mountain all over again… only colder," George said, wringing out his jacket.

"If that's what Global Warming does, I don't like it one bit," Iuka said, standing up and shivering.

Saying nothing, I stood up and flexed my claws, imagining them around the scrawny neck of that old Goomba…

It was about then I noticed a large energy spike to the east, around the mountain. Standing erect, I spun on the spot and ran to the energy spike.

"Coron, where are you going?" Iuka asked, running to catch up to me. I ignored her, however: I was getting excited. The energy spike was so close, I KNEW I was closing in on the Dream Keeper. This horrible nightmare (no pun intended) could finally be over and I could leave this God-Damned dream.

I was only stopped in my sprint by what looked like a large monster floating in front of me in my path, but this hesitation lasted only a moment.

"OUT OF THE WAY!" I barked, jumping up and slashing straight through it. It broke apart into hundreds of tiny Stars, which flew away in fear from me. I didn't care. I chased by them when I reached a snow covered town. I stopped to feel around where the energy spike was. As I was searching, George and Iuka caught up to me.

"Geeze, you run fast," George panted. "The least you could have done is given us a lift."

"Bite me," I snarled, closing in on the exact spot which the energy spike came from. I could see clearly it shot straight up into the sky.

"Well, you don't look all that tasty, but if you say so…" George said, opening his mouth and acting like he was about to bite me. I probably would have ripped his jaw out of his head before shoving a claw through his skull if a poison dart didn't miss my head by mere inches.

"What…?" I turned to the source of the dart. Three Ninjas jumped out of the shadows and at us. Roaring, I flexed my hands into fists and pounded on the two coming at the sides. There was a loud crack as every single one of their ribs cracked as well as they being launched into houses, which shuddered at the force of their impact. The third Ninja I took care of by back flipping and slicing to ribbons with my clawed foot.

"COME ON!" I screamed, in near hysterics now, my claws at ready. "HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT, YOU WORTHLESS SCUM! I CAN TAKE YOU ALL ON!"

"Coron…" Iuka started, looking genuinely worried about my state of mind. I didn't care, though. I would have sliced her to bits, too, if she got in my way.

"Iuka, this isn't the time," George said, putting a hand on her shoulder and forcing her back.

It was around then every single ninja in the village began running at me. I roared an earth-shattering roar as I jumped into the air, avoiding two ninjas that ran close for Melee. Ninja stars were tossed at me in mid-air, but I caught them as they were coming to me, spun, and shot them back. As I landed on the ground, I sliced through three Ninjas near me as quickly and easily as slicing a hot knife through butter. After that, I ran through the crowd of Ninjas, slicing blindly. I caught a few trying to jump away and crushed them under my grip. In less than two minutes, they all lay slain at my feet.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!" I bellowed, turning my head to the air. I looked into the sky, knowing full well that's where the Dream Keeper was. I jumped into the air high, VERY high, then fell to the ground and met it with (quite literally) an earth-shattering punch. The force of this launched me as high and as fast as a rocket.

"CORON!" Iuka cried after me. Her voice made me regret one thing and one thing only…

Not slaughtering her along with the rest of those damn ninjas.

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

…I'm sorry, I'm still taken aback by Coron's section. I mean, I know he was bad, but that's just freakin' EVIL! I mean, seriously! But… I digress.

Anywho, one cliché beam-up later, we found ourselves in a floating town surrounded by night sky. Tiny Star Children were floating around, talking, etc. They all dropped what they were doing, however, when they saw us appear.

"THE STAR SPIRITS!" one cried joyfully, as if they were a lost little child who just found his mother. "THEY'RE BACK, THEY'RE BACK!"

"It's so great to see you again," Mamar said softly, smiling at them.

"Hey, ya miss us?" Muskular asked with a grin, allowing a few Star Children to circle close to him.

"Now now," Eldstar said, holding up his hands. "While I know you are all excited, this is not yet the time to celebrate. Mario here still must take on Bowser. Come along, Mario."

Eldstar led the way to an ancient-looking temple, glowing with an ancient power. The Star Children followed us, wide-eyed with appreciation. The Star Spirits weren't the only ones they looked at, though.

"Wow, nice hat!" one said to Goombario.

"I like your shell!" one said to Kooper.

"You're pretty!" one said to Bombette. When I replied this was very true, she blushed, and Bow turned red.

"Cool wings!" one said to Parakarry.

"You're pretty, too!" one said to Bow. This seemed to calm her down.

"Wanna play with us sometime?" one asked Watt. It replied, yes, it would be thrilled, but it would have to ask it's mommy first.

"I bet you're a really good swimmer!" one said to Sushi.

"You look really cool!" one said to Lakilester. This caught him by surprise, but he managed to force out a "Thank you".

"Awesome mustache!" quite a few said to me.

"Yeah, well, you know," I said, stroking the bushy thing on my face. "Chicks dig the 'stache."

We eventually made our way inside the ancient temple. Sitting in the center was what looked like a large chariot, big enough to fit all eight of us. It was blue with yellow stars painted on.

"The chariot of the stars," Eldstar said. "With this, you can sneak into Bowser's Castle without his knowing."

"Sneak attack," I nodded as I stepped in and took the controls. "Smart."

The controls for the chariot looked suspiciously like an old N64 controller.

"M-Mario, are you sure you can control this?" the Star with the book-Klevar-asked.

"Relax, I've played Star Fox 64," I said with a dismissive wave. "Just whatever you do, don't tell me to do a barrel roll."

"…" Everyone stared at me in silence.

"…ignore what I just said," I said, getting back in position. "Well, everyone ready?"

"Hold on," Eldstar said. "First, we must grant you what we promised."

The Star Spirits charged up their power and released it at once. In a flash of light, a single card with a picture of all seven Star Spirits on it appeared and fell in my hand.

"Hold this card out with our seven other cards surrounding it to activate the Star Beam," Eldstar said. "This power is the only thing that can negate the power of the Star Rod."

"Got it," I nodded, pocketing the new card. "Well, guess we better get going. Return to the Star Cards."

In seven flashes of light, the seven Star Spirits returned to their cards (Muskular with a groan).

"Alright, let's do this!" I said, gripping the controller in both hands. "Everyone ready?"

"I've been ready!" Goombario said.

"Let's finish this thing!" Kooper said.

"Bowser's gonna pay!" Bombette said.

"We're gonna deliver some pain to him!" Parakarry said. "…okay, I should REALLY stop trying to make jokes…"

"That Koopa won't know what hit him!" Bow said, preparing her fans.

"Let's stop this bad man!" Watt said.

"Bowser's not getting away for his foul actions!" Sushi said.

"For Lakilulu!" cried out Lakilester.

With that, I pushed down on the A button. The chariot began floating in the air. With a tilt of the control stick forward, we were shooting off through space.

_This is it…_ I thought. _This is the end!_

* * *

**Author's Note: Only four more chapters left until this story's over! I'm getting REALLY excited, personally! Until next time, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out!**


	52. Chapter 52: Climbing the Castle

**Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Ready for a super-special awesome epic chapter of epic proportions? Well, too bad! That's NEXT chapter. However, I'm pretty sure this chapter will be incredibly epic, too!**

* * *

_**Chapter 52: Climbing through the Castle**_

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

With a loud THUMP!, I landed on my feet on a floating town in the sky. There were several small stars around, staring at me with wide-eyed horror.

"**Where did the Dream Keeper go?**" I growled, my claws itching to slice someone.

"Um… w-we probably shouldn't-" one brave Star kid said.

"**WHERE!**" I roared.

"Over there!" he meeped, pointing to an ancient looking building. I dashed past him, running on all fours now, heading to where he pointed. I could see him fainting out of the corner of my eye, but I didn't care. At that point, I didn't care about anything. You know how you humans have a tiny voice in your head that tells you not to do something if it's wrong or crazy? Nightmares don't have that voice, so there was NOTHING stopping me from focusing completely on my target: Destroying the Dream Keeper.

I reached the inside of the building to find a platform where some ship obviously docked. Ahead was deep space, and far away I saw what looked like a shooting star heading to a floating castle. Pulsing with energy, I jumped out, pitch-black bat wings sprouting from my back as I flew at lightning speed toward the castle and toward the Dream Keeper.

Before you move on to the Dream Keeper's part, I figured it would be worth explaining why I never did that before. Well, it's actually obvious: That's one of a few moves I only activate when in Instinct Mode. And if that's not good enough for you, then you can just go-

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

OKAY, let's stop there before this story's rating becomes M, shall we?

Anyway, after flying through space for a few minutes (all the while resisting the ever growing urge to do a Barrel Roll), we landed in the courtyard of Bowser's Castle. A river of lava flowed by, a bridge over it. Across the bridge was the actual castle, which was huge and menacing. At the very top of the castle was Peach's Castle, which looked pathetically puny in comparison.

"What is it with the final boss and the unexplainable urge to over-complicate everything?" I asked, putting one hand on my hip and holding the other out, pointing at the castle. "It makes you wonder how the antagonist himself gets around if it's so huge!"

"Maybe they take back ways or something?" Bombette suggested.

"Do you honestly think Bowser would be smart enough to build that?" I asked her.

"…okay, good point," Bombette admitted as we walked into the castle. The inside had a HUGE pit of lava spread out below with rope bridges spread across them. Standing on these bridges were what looked like Koopas clad in armor.

"Wow, Bowser's pulling out all the stops here!" Goombario said. "Those are Koopatrols! Those are Bowser's most elite of guards!"

"I gotta admit," Kooper said, "if it weren't for the fact I'd have to devote myself to Bowser, I'd train to be a Koopatrol in a heartbeat."

"Alright," I said, turning to my friends. "Any plans on how to out-smart these walking piles of iron?"

"…uh, we're right here, you know," one Koopatrol said. "We're not deaf."

"…CHARGE!" Parakarry cried. We all ran forward. The Koopatrols stood shoulder-to-shoulder to make a barrier to keep us from moving forward.

"Star Card, ACTIVATE!" I shouted, pulling out Skolar's Star Card. In a flash of light, the Star Spirit appeared. One Star Storm later, we ran around the unconscious forms of the elite soldiers and made our way into the next room.

The next room was completely empty, save for the far wall, which had a face carved into it.

"Mua-ha-ha!" the face laughed. "Mario! So you're finally here…"

"Uh… yeah, I am," I nodded.

"Well," the wall said, "guess you'll just have to hang around the prison for awhile! Time to take a little trip DOWN, Mario!"

With a laugh, the floor opened up from under…

…were we were standing a minute ago, before we moved.

"Wha… Why didn't you fall down!" the wall shouted.

"…you told us you were going to drop us down," I pointed out.

"Yeah," Lakilester said, "it's not like before you hit someone you say 'Look out, I'm about to punch you in the face!'"

"At this point, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if one of Bowser's minions did that," I sighed. "Alright wall, are you gonna let us pass?"

"Ha!" the wall said. "Fat chance! There's no way you're EVER gonna make me open up!"

"Bombette?" I asked, turning to my more-than-friend. She, in turn, lit her fuse and walked toward the wall.

"…oh, hey, look at that!" he said quickly, swinging open like a door. "A path forward! No need for explosions after all!"

"Remember: Violence solves everything," Bombette said as she walked through, along with the others. Goombario held me back, however.

"Mario?" he asked.

"Yeah man?" I asked, turning to face him. "What's up?"

"Well…" Goombario looked down. "It's about Bombette…"

"Hm?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Merlin… he gave me a message," he said. "He told me… 'Beware of a Pink Bob-Omb. She will cause Mario nothing but grief down the road.'"

"…alright?" I said. "So, where's the pink Bob-Omb?"

"Mario, Bombette IS the pink-" Goombario started.

"No," I interjected. "Don't say it. She's NOT the one he talked about."

"Then what other bombs could he be talking about?" Goombario asked.

"I don't know, maybe one we haven't met yet?" I suggested.

"Mario-"

"Look, I TRUST Bombette," I said, anger bubbling in me. How could Goombario, one of my closest friends on this whole trip, pin the title of some kind of monster on Bombette?

"Why are you defending her like this?" Goombario asked. "Why do you refuse to see what's in front of you?"

"Because I love her!" I snapped. Goombario looked at me with wide eyes. I blinked myself.

"I love her…" I repeated. A grin slowly spread across my face. "I do… I really love her!"

"Mario… how do you know this is really love?" Goombario asked. "What if she's just tricking you?"

Before I could answer, the wall near us said, "Man oh MAN, this is better than a Soap Oprah!"

Realizing we weren't alone in that room, we left posthaste.

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

After flying through space for longer than I wished, I reached the castle. I dived down and crashed on top of the dark castle, next to the lighter one.

"Hey, who's that?" a Koopa in armor asked.

"Get him!" another said, running at me. I shot my claw through his stomach. He gasped in horrible pain as I writhed my hand inside him for a few moments before ripping it out and kicking him off the side of the castle. I looked up and growled at the others who were watching me with wide eyes. This growl got them to run away from me, screaming in fear.

Turning my attention downward, I could feel the presence of the Dream Keeper. I focused all of my power into my legs, jumped into the air, then kicked the ground below me, crashing down and landing in a pile of rubble in a small room. Once I reached it, I looked up to see everyone I saw from the clouds, including the Dream Keeper. They all stepped back, eyes wide with shock, but my eyes locked with his.

His body was exactly like Mario's, but his eyes… his eyes couldn't fool me. They were big and naïve and oh so full of light. They were eyes I couldn't WAIT to watch fade as I slowly squeezed the life out of them. The wall behind me said something, but I paid it no attention.

"You again!" shouted the Dream Keeper, pulling out his hammer. I gave a laugh that made them jump back. That pitiful hammer wouldn't do a THING against me!

"**Dream Keeper!**" I growled, pointing a clawed finger at him. My body was radiating pure hate, even I could feel it. "**This ends here! I am going to SLAUGHTER you for the hell you've put me through!**"

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

We had been walking for a bit of time, battling along the way with the power of the Star Cards, when we finally reached the final room with a talking wall.

"That's the… third one we've seen so far, right?" I asked.

"Yes, sweetie," Sushi nodded. "To tell the truth, I'm beginning to get a bit tired of these things."

"You and me both," I muttered. I turned back to the wall.

"Alright," I said, crossing my arms. "What's YOUR challenge? Quiz questions? Booby traps?"

"No!" laughed the wall. "I am going to send in a horrible, ferocious monster to attack you! Here it comes, Mario-"

CRASH!

The ceiling above us crashed down, and standing in the rubble was none other than Coron. He looked up, and his features were enough to make us all step back in shock.

He looked terrible. It almost looked like his shadow-y skin was messed up and parted everywhere, like the fur of a stray animal. His claws continuously moved, as if he were ready to slaughter anyone at a moment's notice. And his eyes… they were no longer cruel and calculating, they were insane, BEYOND insane. They were the eyes of someone who had been pushed above and beyond their limits and couldn't take it anymore. His eyes locked with mine, and I could tell he was examining my features as well.

"Huh…" the wall behind Coron said. "That doesn't look ANYTHING like the monster I hired…"

"You again!" I shouted, pulling out my hammer. Upon seeing this, Coron laughed an incredibly creepy, crazy, dark laugh that made us all jump back.

"**Dream Keeper!**" Coron growled, pointing a clawed finger at me. His body was radiating pure hatred, and his eyes showed it. "**This ends here! I am going to SLAUGHTER you for the hell you've put me through!**"

* * *

**Author's Note: Short, albeit, but a great setup to my next two chapters! Yes, you read that right: Chapter 53 is going to be a two-parter! One part will be through Pax's POV, and the other will be through Coron's. The showdown you've all been waiting for, next time on the Legend of the Dream Keeper: The First Dream! Until then, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out!**


	53. Chapter 53: The Nightmare Battle

**Author's Note: This is Pax's Chapter. To see Coron's Chapter, go one chapter forward.**

* * *

_**Chapter 53: The Nightmare Battle**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

"…wait, so now YOU'RE warning us that you're about to attack?" Bombette asked. "Great, now I have lost all faith in bad guys."

Coron's eyes showed that the last little bit of whatever was holding him back finally broke. He gave a loud roar as he jumped toward Bombette.

"NO!" I shouted, jumping in front of her and holding out my hammer in a defensive stance. My eyes shut tight as he slashed at my hammer, then…

…nothing happened?

"Huh?" I asked, opening my eyes. I saw my hammer was surrounded in a sort of barrier, glowing with light. It was the only thing preventing Coron from slicing it to ribbons. Coron roared and jumped back, circling us like a wild animal looking for openings in defense.

"Guys, get back," I said, keeping my stance.

"No way, there's no chance I'm leaving you!" Bombette said stubbornly.

"Bombette-" I started. Unfortunately, before I could finish my sentence, Coron lunged at me. I kept my stance, but his lunge was so powerful, it knocked me back. The two of us crashed through the wall and wound up outside. Stars flashed in my eyes as I landed hard on my back, Coron above me. I saw him grin like someone in an asylum before holding up his claws.

"**Are you ready to find out what hell is like, you stupid, small, idiotic child!**" Coron snapped at me. I winced away from him as he brought the claw closer to my throat. Suddenly, a bright light built up in my pockets and blasted Coron back off me. He slammed into a wall, but it seemed like the light affected him more than wall. He was screaming as he ripped sections of his skin off, which were turning grey instead of black.

"Holy…" I started, standing up shakily. The cards shot out of my pockets and activated without my saying anything. The Star Spirits surrounded me, glaring daggers at Coron.

"Cure!" cried Misstar, pointing at me. My strength returned to me as I felt my wounds heal.

"Thanks!" I said as I stood straighter, getting into battle position.

"Do not worry, Dream Keeper!" Eldstar said, he the one floating directly in front of me. "Our light shall protect you!"

Coron was glaring at all of us, spitting on the ground. He was growling as well.

"**Light?**" Coron asked. "**Ha! What good will a pathetic little light do for you? No matter how bright you try to make it, I'll just keep putting it out, again and again.**"

It was my turn to glare at him. He was so horribly wrong, I wasn't sure where to start. So, I just spoke my mind:

"You're wrong! No matter how hard you try, darkness can NEVER put out light! No matter how faint it might be, it will always shine true! And in the end, even the faintest light can drive out the darkest of darkness!"

Coron barked out a laugh, one that seemed to make my spine react the same way as it would to fingernails scratching on a chalk board. I didn't back down, though. I refused to let myself.

"**So you really think your pitiful light will protect you?**" Coron hissed, bending down and preparing to pounce.

"Yeah," I nodded, keeping my hammer at ready to battle. "I do."

Coron roared and sprinted to me, running on all fours. Muskular floated forward to intercept like the hero he was, but Coron swatted him away so easily it honestly scared me (these were, like, the gods of this world! They shouldn't go down this easy). After that, he jumped up and shot himself down like a bullet, moving to slash me. This time I didn't hesitate as I held up my hammer to stop him. The light protected me, but the force behind the hit blasted me back. I rolled on the ground before jumping on my feet and sliding to a stop, my hammer held out behind me.

"Don't worry, our light is protecting your hammer!" Mamar said as Misstar ran to Muskular's side, worry etched on her face. "The Nightmare cannot destroy it!"

"**Like I need to destroy a stick to slaughter him!**" Coron roared, running toward me. As he approached, I swung my hammer at him. Unfortunately, Coron caught it and twisted both it and me over his head. I twisted myself around and kicked him in the face. He grunted and rolled back, obviously hurt. He got back to his feet and growled, wiping a black, gooey substance from his mouth. It took me a moment to realize that was blood.

Coron lunged, and I rolled to the side and hit him in the side with my hammer. Coron rolled to the ground with a grunt, then jumped up and dashed forward, transforming his arms into swords. I swung my hammer, held to the side so I was holding it like a fighting staff, in turn with Coron's swings, blocking each hit with one of my own.

"**Why do you continue to fight?**" Coron asked me as he slashed his arms-er, swords on my hammer. "**You cannot win against me, I WILL kill you!**"

"Well," I shrugged, the ADHD part of me kicking in, "if the hero gave up, the games wouldn't be nearly as fun."

"**IS THAT ALL THIS IS TO YOU!**" Coron cried in my face. "**A GAME! THIS IS NO GAME, CHILD! THIS IS **_**WAR**_**!**"

I couldn't reply due to the fact he turned his sword back into a fist and punched he in the gut. Dear GOD, nothing had ever hurt me so much before! I gave a cry of pain, and Coron smirked.

"**You think that's bad?**" he whispered, leaning his face in closer to mine. "**I haven't even BEGUN to show you how much I can make you hurt.**"

Coron swiftly hit me in the side. Holy mother, and I thought the punch to the gut hurt! There was an audible crack as his blow made contact, and I suddenly found it a lot harder to breathe. Tears of pain welled in my eyes as I gripped my side. Coron suddenly grabbed me around my throat and lifted me in the air, glaring at me with an incredibly intense hatred.

"**Remember that first day?**" Coron asked me, squeezing his hand. I gasped and struggled for air. Sneering, Coron went on:

"**The first day we met, when I tried to kill you. I told you I needed a nap, but I was mistaken. I meant to take a rest. Well, back then you had an insane Goomba to protect you. I don't see him anywhere now. So who's going to save you, little Dream Keeper? That's right, no one. We all die alone, and I'm going to prove that to you.**"

His other hand morphed into a blade. He pulled his arm back to stab me when suddenly…

"NOOOO!"

Suddenly, Bombette jumped down from above and slammed into Coron. He, in turn, dropped me and roared as he clawed at Bombette.

"**GET THE HELL OFF ME, YOU **{Censored}**!**" he screamed as he ripped Bombette off and threw her into a wall. Her gasp of pain made me deaf of everything else in the world. I saw, to my absolute horror, she was cracked down the side.

"**I AM GOING TO FINISH THIS, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!**" Coron shrieked, storming toward Bombette. My hand clenched around my hammer tightly, rage filling my body. I forced myself up and, ignoring the pain, ran in front of Bombette, keeping her apart from Coron.

"Don't you DARE lay a finger on my girlfriend!" I shouted at him.

"**What's the matter?**" Coron asked in a taunting tone. "**You don't like the fact I'm about to squish her like a grape?**"

This time, it was my turn to snap a bit. All I saw was red. He wasn't going to hurt Bombette! I wouldn't let him! Screaming, I dashed forward, my hammer held high. My body felt odd, but I didn't care. All I cared about was making Coron pay for hurting my Bombette. Coron looked like he was in a mild state of shock/surprise when I slammed my hammer into him blasting him back. He fell back into the deep space and out of sight. With a deep breath-which I regretted a moment later from my lungs in the side of my body that I was pretty sure had broken ribs-I turned back to Bombette and walked to her.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly, kneeling down to her and gingerly touching the cracks down her side. She winced as I touched them, but looked like she appreciated my touch.

"I'm fine, you macho idiot," she said. After a moment, she looked up at me and grinned.

"So, girlfriend, huh?" she asked smugly. I blushed.

"Well… uh… I…" I started. Bombette stood up to reach my kneeling level of eyesight.

"Truth be told," she whispered, "I kinda liked the sound of it. Sure the princess won't mind, though? Me stealing her plumber, that is?"

"Oh, she always has Luigi," I said with a wave. "Besides, she's a little too Damsel-in-Distress for my taste. I'd rather a girl who fights by my side."

"Then you, Mario, have found that girl," Bombette said, leaning forward and kissing me for the second time. Of course, it wasn't as earth-shattering and surprising as the first kiss, but it was still amazing. The only thing that pulled me away was a feeling of a dark presence.

"Bombette, get DOWN!" I said, shoving her to the ground. Just as we got down, Coron jumped through a dark portal and slashed at us, his slash being so close that it was scary. I jumped away from Bombette and watched Coron as he vanished through another portal. Not even a half second later, he shot through a new one and dashed at me. I managed to use my very awesome dodging skills to avoid the death blow, however. Coron vanished, then reappeared, I dodged, then he vanished again. The attack pattern was sort of like that huge, annoying attack Dark Riku uses in Kingdom Hearts. You know the one I'm talking about fellow fans, right?

Anyway, like Riku, Coron eventually ended it with a slash down from up above. I managed to roll out of the way in time, but the shockwave from the attack threw me forward and made me land flat on my face.

"_**RAUGH!**_" I heard Coron snarl. I turned to see him jump toward me, ready to slaughter me.

_Okay Star Spirits, PLEASE tell me this is going to work! _I begged in my mind as I tossed my hammer at Coron. This caught him off balance and made him land a few yards away. I then pulled out all seven Star Cards, arranged them in a circle around the Star Beam Card (the cards seemed to enter zero-gravity and stay where I placed them in mid-air) before shouting:

"STAR BEAM, ACTIVATE!"

Suddenly, a HUGE blast of light shot out and covered Coron. I could hear Coron scream, and when the light faded, he looked absolutely pathetic, skin grey instead of black, and a look of failure etched into his eyes. He reached a hand out to grab me before collapsing on the ground. Before I could do anything else, however, a dark portal appeared directly under him, pulling him in. Then, just as soon as it appeared, it disappeared.

One thing was for certain: Coron was gone. Dead? I had no idea. But gone? Yes.

Panting, I turned my head to see Bombette hanging off the edge by her feet. Apparently, the shockwave had affected her, too.

"BOMBETTE!" I cried, running to her. She shrieked as she slipped and began to fall, but then…

Goombario grabbed her foot in his mouth and pulled her out, keeping her safe.

"Goombario…" Bombette panted. "You… saved me…"

"Yeah," Goombario said, spitting to the sides, "but I gotta say, I've never really cared to see what your shoe tasted like."

Bombette laughed at that one, as did I, though for me it was more in relief than anything else.

"Mario… I've made my decision," Goombario said, turning to me. "I've already passed the message onto you… but if she means that much to you, I'm behind you all the way."

"Really?" I asked, taken aback.

"Of course!" Goombario grinned. "What else are best friends for?"

I grinned as well, a tear going down my face. Partly because of how touched I was with all of it, partly because my ribs were REALLY hurting.

"I feel like I'm missing something here…" Bombette said, but then sighed and shook her head, not pressing the point further.

"WOW!" the door said. "THAT WAS SO INCREDIBLY EPIC! COME ON UP, I'LL LET YOU PASS! WOO!"

"Glad someone got some enjoyment out of that," I laughed weakly. With some help from our friends, we climbed back up and headed through the door and toward the final boss.

* * *

**Author's Note: See Coron's Chapter.**


	54. Chapter 53 Reverse Rebirth

**Author's Note: This is Coron's Chapter. To see Pax's Chapter, go one chapter back.**

* * *

_**Chapter 53: The Nightmare Battle Reverse/Rebirth**_

* * *

_**Enter Coron:**_

* * *

"…wait, so now YOU'RE warning us that you're about to attack?" the pink Bob-Omb asked. "Great, now I have lost all faith in bad guys."

That did it. There was a quite audible SNAP inside my head. Everything went red. With a ROAR, I pounced forward toward that stupid pink little bomb.

"NO!" the Dream Keeper shouted as he threw himself in front of the bomb, his hammer held out in defense. Good, two birds with one stone. His eyes shut tight as I sliced hard at the hammer, wanting to slice it apart before killing him, but suddenly, his hammer was surrounded in light, a barrier that prevented me from slicing it.

"Huh?" he asked, opening his eyes and looking at it in shock as if he had no idea how he did it. Roaring, I jumped back and began circling the Dream Keeper, looking for any openings in defense.

"Guys, get back," the Dream Keeper told his companions.

"No way, there's no chance I'm leaving you!" the Pink Bomb replied.

"Bombette-" the Dream Keeper started, but before he could finish, I lunged. The Dream Keeper attempted to keep his defense, but it was in vain: I tackled him down and knocked him back so hard, we crashed through a far wall and landed outside. I landed on top of him, his back on the ground. Thousands of images of what I could do to him flashed through my mind. I grinned as I held up my claws, ready to do the first of what I thought.

"**Are you ready to find out what hell is like, you stupid, small, idiotic child!**" I barked at him. He winced away from me, and I brought down my claw to his throat, preparing to cause him as much agony as I could before I killed him. Before I could do anything, however, a wretched, pure light that was in the Dream Keeper's pockets shot me back into a wall. The wall was like a pillow, however, when compared to the agony the light gave to me. I screamed, ripping off the skin that was turning a lighter grey from exposure to the light.

"Holy…" the Dream Keeper started. Another horrible blast of light came out of his pockets as seven cards came out them. Suddenly, powerful Star Spirits were there, seven in total. They surrounded the Dream Keeper, each one glaring at me.

"Cure!" the pink one cried, pointing at the Dream Keeper. A light came over him as he stood straighter up, his wounds being magically healed.

"Thanks!" the Dream Keeper said as he got into battle position.

"Do not worry, Dream Keeper!" the Star Spirits with a huge mustache said, floating directly in front of him. "Our light shall protect you!"

I spat on the ground, glaring at all of them. A growl escaped my chest.

"**Light?**" I asked. "**Ha! What good will a pathetic little light do for you? No matter how bright you try to make it, I'll just keep putting it out, again and again!**"

"You're wrong!" snapped the Dream Keeper, this time HE was glaring at ME. "No matter how hard you try, darkness can NEVER put out light! No matter how faint it might be, it will always shine true! And in the end, even the faintest of light can drive out the darkest of darkness!"

I barked a laugh. Such stupid, naïve words from such a small-minded child!

"**So you really think your pitiful little light will protect you?**" I hissed, bending my legs down, prepared to pounce.

"Yeah," the Dream Keeper said with a nod, he looking as ready to battle as I was. "I do."

With a roar, I dashed forward on all fours. The Blue Star ran forward to intercept me, but I slashed him to the side as easily as I would swat a fly before I jumped up and slashed down at the Dream Keeper. He held up his hammer in defense, the light surrounding it keeping me from slicing it. However, my power caused him to be launched back. He spun in the air and landed on his feet, sliding to a stop. His hammer was held out behind him.

"Don't worry, our light is protecting your hammer!" the star with a bow said to the Dream Keeper. The pink star ran to the blue one's side, but I paid them little attention. "The Nightmare cannot destroy it!"

"**Like I need to destroy a stick to slaughter him!**" I screamed, running forward again. When I got close, the Dream Keeper swung his hammer at me. I caught it in my hand and twisted both it and him over my head. He twisted and, before I could react, kicked me in the face. I grunted as I rolled back, the power behind Mario's body knocking me back further than should be normal. I got back to my feet, growling, wiping the blood from my mouth.

I lunged, and that pesky little Dream Keeper rolled to the side and hit my side with his hammer. I had to admit, that strike knocked the wind out of me. I grunted as I rolled on the ground, then jumped up and dashed forward again, both my arms transforming into swords. Holding his hammer like a fighting staff, he matched every attack I made with one of his own, putting us at stalemate.

"**Why do you continue to fight?**" I hissed as I slammed both swords on the hammer. "**You cannot win against me, I WILL kill you!**"

"Well," the Dream Keeper said with a shrug, "if the hero gave up, the games wouldn't be nearly as fun."

"**IS THAT ALL THIS IS TO YOU!**" I screamed in his face. "**A GAME! THIS IS NO GAME, CHILD! THIS IS **_**WAR**_**!**"

Before the Dream Keeper could react, I punched him in the gut, my sword turning into a fist so I would injure him, not kill him. I wanted to watch him SUFFER. The Dream Keeper gave a small cry of pain from my punch. I smirked at his misery.

"**You think that's bad?**" I whispered, leaning my face in closer to his. "**I haven't even BEGUN to show you how much I can make you hurt.**"

I then swiftly slammed my fist into his side. The satisfying CRACK told me I broke his ribs. Tears welled in his eyes as he grabbed his side. I grabbed him by his throat and lifted him in the air, glaring at that stupid, ugly, no good face of his.

"**Remember that first day?**" I asked as I squeezed my hand. Gasping, the Dream Keeper struggled for air, much to my amusement. I sneered and continued:

"**The first day we met, when I tried to kill you. I told you I needed a nap, but I was mistaken. I meant to take a rest. Well, back then you had an insane Goomba to protect you. I don't see him anywhere now. So who's going to save you, little Dream Keeper? That's right, no one. We all die alone, and I'm going to prove that to you.**"

I turned my other hand into a blade and pulled it back, ready to shove it through his chest and strike him down, when suddenly…

"NOOOO!"

The Pink Bob-Omb fell from above and slammed into me. I roared as I let go of the Dream Keeper to claw at the stupid bomb.

"**GET THE HELL OFF ME, YOU **{Censored}**!**" I screamed as I ripped her off and slammed her into the wall. She gave a gasp as she hit it hard and fell. I saw a crack down her side where she hit the wall.

"**I AM GOING TO FINISH THIS, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!**" I shrieked, storming toward the bomb, planning to crush her little bomb body under my foot. However, the Dream Keeper managed to force himself up and stand between me and the bomb, rage etched on his face.

"Don't you DARE lay a finger on my girlfriend!" he shouted at me.

"**What's the matter?**" I taunted. "**You don't like the fact I'm about to squish her like a grape?**"

The Dream Keeper screamed, running at me with rage in his eyes, his hammer held above him. I was ready to end it right there and then when something completely unexpected happened.

The Dream Keeper's entire body glowed with light as he ran at me. The purity and power of this light that surrounded him was so great, I was completely caught off guard and blasted back by the raw power behind the hammer held by him. I fell back into space and began falling. Turning around, I simply acted on instinct and held out a hand to open a dark portal.

And, to my utter surprise, it worked. A portal opened in front of me, and I was suddenly floating in a pitch-black world of in-between.

"Well well," a snide voice said near me. I turned to see Rixamim floating there, grinning like a little kid who had just won a game at a carnival. "Like my gift, Nightmare? The Lord did say for me to undermine this dream, and I think I've done quite a bit, don't you think?"

"**Tell it to the prom committee, little girl,**" I spat as I re-created a portal and turned my arms into swords.

"Well, that's just rude!" Rixamim pouted, crossing her arms. "You'd think you would be more thankful that I did such a big favor for you, but no, you just-"

I heard nothing else as I dived through the portal and back into the Dream.

"-et DOWN!" the Dream Keeper said, shoving the bomb to the ground just as I passed them, slicing so close to them it felt like an insult to miss. Cursing under my breath, I created another portal in front of me and, still flying through the dark world, created another in front of me. I shot back out in the dream and slashed at the Dream Keeper, who was now standing away from the bomb. He managed to bend back and dodge, however. I re-created a portal in front of me, then made another and another, continuing to jump out and slash at the Dream Keeper again and again and again. And each and every time, he dodged the attack like an annoying fly that flies JUST out of your reach when you try and swat it. Eventually, in the dark world, I turned down and opened a portal below me. I ended up above the Dream Keeper as I shot myself down, swords held down to slice him to ribbons. He rolled out of the way, though the shockwave from my attack knocked him down, hindering him.

"_**RAUGH!**_" I snarled, jumping into the air and slashing down at the Dream Keeper. He tossed his awful light-covered hammer at me and made me land a few yards away. I turned my head up in time to see him arrange seven cards around a powerful eighth one before crying out:

"STAR BEAM, ACTIVATE!"

A huge, thick, pure blast of light shot out of the cards and covered me. I screamed, trying to escape, but it was no use: I couldn't hide from the light.

When it finally faded, I was kneeling, my skin a light grey, scarred from the light. Glaring, I reached a hand out to grab him before collapsing. The last thing I remembered before I faded into unconsciousness was this:

_I failed… forgive me… Lord of Nightmares…_

* * *

**Author's Note: This battle goes mainly to Keybladeboy, who I know has been dying for something like this since Coron has been introduced! I hope I made you proud, man! Only two chapters left until this book has ended! Until next time, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out!**


	55. Chapter 54: Battle with Bowser

**Author's Note: Wow. You… you guys really liked my Pax Vs. Coron Chapter? I'm… I'm touched. *Sniffle* You guys are the best fans a guy could ask for! Anyway, here it is, the second-to-last chapter of this book! Enjoy, guys!**

* * *

_**Chapter 54: Battle with Bowser**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

Long story short, I beat Bowser, saved the Princess, and lived happily ever after.

…JUST KIDDING! Had you going there for a second though, didn't I?

Anyway, we opened the door to see Bowser standing there, arms crossed. Behind him tied up was Princess Peach.

"Mario!" she cried out, looking at me.

"Yo," I said casually, waving. I winced as I brought my arm back. Misstar couldn't heal my ribs, unfortunately, so I had to deal with them for the rest of the adventure.

"Gwa-ha-ha!" Bowser laughed, pointing a finger at me. His other hand held the Star Rod. "Mario, you-wait… did you just talk?"

"Uh… yeah?" I said, tilting my head.

"…you've NEVER talked before!" Bowser said.

"Now that you mention it, you're right…" Peach said, confusion on her face.

"Well, I-" I started.

"And what happened to your Italian accent?" Peach asked.

"How do you know he has an Italian accent if he's never spoken before?" Bowser asked, turning to Peach.

"Well," Peach shrugged, "whenever Mario says short little things like 'It's-a me!' or grunts and stuff like that, it's in an Italian accent."

"Oh right…" Bowser nodded. "Sorry, I forgot."

"It happens," Peach shrugged.

"…uh, Princess?" asked Kooper. "Why are you being so casual with Bowser?"

"Oh," Peach said, "well, he's kidnapped me so much, you could call us… frenemies, I guess. I can't stand the sight of him, though I like having conversations with him. By the way, Bowser, tell Jr. I said hi."

"You got it," Bowser said to her. "Oh, and I meant to say, he LOVED the pot roast you sent last month."

"Well," giggled Peach, "I'm glad he liked it."

"Yeesh, I'm starting to feel sorry for Mario…" I muttered.

"Huh?" asked Bombette.

"Oh, nothing, nothing…" I said dismissively, then turned to Bowser.

"You ready to get this party started?" I asked, holding my hammer in the arm on my good side.

"If by 'party' you mean 'beat you down to a pile of pudding' then yes!" laughed Bowser as he waved the Star Rod over his body and glowed. "You cannot defeat me, little plumber! Nothing can stop me! No-what are you doing?"

I was arranging the seven Star Cards around the Eighth Star Beam Card as he said this.

"Just this," I said, then shouted "STAR BEAM, ACTIVATE!"

A blast of light shot out and covered Bowser. He screamed as there was a shattering noise, and the glowing barrier around him vanished.

"Now!" I said, running forward. I jumped over him and hit him in the back of his head, landing behind him and grunting in pain. My ribs were REALLY hurting. Roaring, Bowser turned around to pound me down with his fist, but before he could, Bow suddenly appeared in front of him and showed off her scariest face.

"GWAH!" shouted Bowser, staggering back. He was tripped by Kooper, then bombarded with spiked balls from Lakilester. Speaking of bombs, my girlfriend slammed into him, jumped in the air, then lit her fuse. She winced and stopped as the crack in her side began glowing, heat and sparks shooting from it.

"Are you alright?" I asked, limping over to her.

"Yeah, just a shell-wound," she said, getting back into battle stance. "I'll manage."

Bowser raised the Star Rod to begin to use its power and become strong again, but Parakarry launched into him, hitting him in the face hard and making him stagger back. After Goombario smacked him around a little, I tossed my hammer as hard as I could at Bowser. It made a satisfying CRRRACK! Sound as it hit him. He screamed in pain as he fell back on his shell.

"Everybody love an Italian Boy," I said with a smirk as I held out my hand and caught the hammer as it bounced off Bowser and flew back.

"Grrr… this isn't over, you meddlesome little…" Bowser said, staggering to his feet. He grabbed Princess Peach, tucked her under his arm, and ran upstairs.

"After him!" I said, running after him. We climbed up a set of stairs and found ourselves standing in front of an ominous looking door, the only thing separating us from Bowser.

"This is it," I said, gripping my hammer tightly. "As soon as we step through this door, there's no turning back. Everyone ready?"

"Let's end this!" Goombario said, jumping.

"It's about time Bowser learned his lesson," Kooper said, cracking his knuckles.

"We've gone this far, it's not exactly fair to just start something and leave it to rot," Bombette said with a determined nod.

"We're gonna-" started Parakarry.

"If you make ONE MORE horrible mail joke, I am going to rip off your wings and throw you off the side of this castle," Bow threatened.

"I'll be good…" muttered Parakarry.

"We're gonna save that pretty lady from the mean man!" Watt said, sparking a bit.

"Bowser's already done so much, it's not like we're going to let him get away with it," Sushi said.

"Bowser… you'll pay for what you've done to my world!" Lakilester said.

(In short, not very many had a lot of character development. Though that's mainly Nintendo's problem, and one reason why Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is superior in my eyes. But, this is no place to put my opinions, the book's almost over.)

With a nod, I turned forward and threw the doors open, stepping out.

We were on a large floating disk, hovering high above the castle.

"So Mario, you STILL think you can win?" taunted Bowser. "Well, Kammy here made a little something that will change that!"

"That's right!" the old hag from the beginning of my adventure sneered.

"Hey, I know you!" I said, pointing to her. "Long time no see! Yeesh… I guess you didn't take my advice on that skin cream, did you?"

Her glare shut me up.

"Joke while you can, Mario," Bowser said. "Because you won't be laughing in a minute!"

"Well," I said, "what if I'm being tickled in a minute?"

"Wha… who would tickle you!" snapped Bowser.

"Kooper, Parakarry, Bow… pretty much anyone with hands," I shrugged.

"Does that mean-" started Bow.

"NO," both Bombette and I replied.

"Well, you can't blame a girl for trying," Bow huffed, crossing her arms and turning her face away from us.

"Would you all just pay attention to me for two seconds!" shouted Bowser.

"Oh fine, let's see what you got," I said, turning to face him.

"Thank you," Bowser said. "Now then… TURN THIS PUPPY ON!"

Kammy waved her wand, and the round arena began shaking. Bowser waved his arm, the platform whirred, and Bowser grew to twice his size, glowing with the power of the Star Rod.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," I shrugged, pulling out the cards. "Star Beam, ACTIVATE!"

The beam shot out at him. This time, unfortunately… nothing happened.

"Gwa-ha-ha!" laughed Bowser. "Is that the best you got? That little beam won't do a thing against me!"

"Well… crap," I gulped.

Meanwhile, a bit of a ways away, Peach was struggling with her bonds.

"Princess Peach!" Twink said, flying to her side.

"Twink, leave!" Peach said.

"No way!" Twink shook his head. "I've come to save you!"

"Twink, you're going to get hurt!" Princess Peach said. "Trust me, leave now!"

"Say your prayers, plumber!" Bowser said, charging up a huge blast with the Star Rod. He fired a powerful shot at us.

"NOOO!" cried Twink, flying in front of us to take the hit.

SHING!

There was a flash of light, and floating where Twink was a moment ago was a Star Card. I took it and saw, to my surprise, a little picture of the Star Kid on it.

"Wow…" I whispered. I looked back up at Bowser.

"Here's hopin' this works…" I muttered, arranging the cards. This time, I had Twink's card in the center.

"PEACH BEAM, ACTIVATE!" I cried. There was a buildup of positive energy, and suddenly, a beam of pink light shot out and shattered the barrier around Bowser.

"GAH!" Bowser staggered. "…ha ha ha! You think that'll do anything? This arena's made for me to absorb your hits and send them back at 'ya!"

Bowser stomped his foot and a shockwave knocked us off our feet. I grunted in pain as I landed on my bad side.

"Geeze… how are we going to win if this arena makes Bowser stronger by the minute?" Goombario asked. "The Peach Beam will negate the Star Rod, but…"

"It would take a HUGE explosion to get rid of this thing!" I grunted, trying to force myself up. Then, to my utter shock and horror, Bombette got up and walked to Bowser.

"Bombette, what are you doing?" I asked, hoping what I feared was wrong.

"Remember that final bomb I told you about?" Bombette asked me, turning so her crack faced Bowser.

"Bombette, no! There's gotta be another way!" I said. Bombette shook he head, the fuse lighting. This time, it actually went down like a real bomb.

"Bombette, NO!" I shouted, trying to reach for her. She simply smiled and closed her eyes.

"Mario… you have made this the happiest time of my life," she said, a tear going down her face. "Goodbye… I love you."

"BOMB-"

_**BOOM!**_

A huge, earth-shattering explosion occurred, shaking the platform and even the castle. The platform was cracked into pieces from where Bombette exploded… and she wasn't standing there anymore.

I didn't notice as my friends were staggered back from the explosion, and some even fell of the platform.

I didn't notice as Bowser shrank down and shouted in pain.

I didn't notice as the Star Rod fell out of Bowser's grip and all it's magic faded.

I didn't notice as the Star Spirits escaped from their cards and saved my friends.

Nothing mattered. Nothing was noticed.

Bombette was gone. I would never see her again.

The first person I had ever fallen in love with, the first one I ever related to…

…was dead.


	56. Chapter 55: Dream's End

**Author's Note: Sorry about last chapter having no ending Author's Note, I figured that would make it more powerful. Anywho, here we have it, the Final Chapter! Here we go!**

* * *

_**Chapter 55: Dream's End**_

* * *

_**Enter Pax:**_

* * *

_Bombette…_

_Gone._

_Dead._

_Sorrow…_

_Hate._

_Rage._

_Bowser._

_Bowser!_

_BOWSER!_

_HIS FAULT!_

_DIE!_

I'm pretty sure this is what my thoughts were like. If nothing else, it was really similar. Ignoring the horrible pain in my side, I sprinted forward and body-slammed Bowser. The two of us fell into deep space, falling, falling, falling… the castles were falling behind us as well, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that Bowser PAID for what he did to Bombette. I began beating him as we fell, but my side hurt so bad, I was physically unable to move. I was on my last legs. I couldn't do anything else.

Then, something clicked.

I gripped my hammer in both hands, energy building up.

"_**Limit Break…**_" I said, holding my hammer over my head. "_**DREAM'S END!**_"

I then began attacking Bowser at all angles. I pounded and I pounded, I hit and I hit, I slammed and I slammed. I caused Bowser as much pain as I could with a hammer. The odd thing was that I was moving so fast, it seemed like there were four or five of me moving at the same time, all beating on Bowser. I moved up as I beat Bowser higher and higher into the sky.

When Bowser was a bruised and beaten as an over-ripe banana, I flew up above him, rainbow wings growing out of my back. I spun around in the air, then dived down at Bowser, turned like a bullet. My hammer held behind me, I flew straight through Bowser, my wings working as blades as they sliced through him as easy as a hot knife through butter. Bowser gasped as the gashes I slashed into him glowed. Then, the energy build-up was so great, that there was a final, HUGE explosion that could be seen all the way down from earth. The explosion was so powerful, it blasted even me back. My eyes closed, I fell back to the earth, similar to how Mario fell at the beginning of the adventure. I think I was in the middle of breaking the atmosphere when I blacked out…

* * *

My eyes fluttered open eventually. I sat up to see I was in a Toad house. My friends were gathered around me.

"You're awake!" Bow cried, and everyone gathered around me, thrilled.

"W-what happened?" I asked, putting a hand on my head. I began to remember what happened recently.

"Bombette!" I said, my head snapping up. "Is she…"

Everyone hung their heads.

"I'm sorry, Mario…" Goombario said, and he really meant it, I could hear it in his voice. I bowed my head, my heart feeling like it was torn to pieces.

"Mario…"

I turned my head up to see the seven… no, now the EIGHT Star Spirits floating above me. Twink flew close to me and gave me a tiny hug.

"We're all sorry…" he said. After backing away, Eldstar flew up and dropped the Star Rod in my lap.

"After everything you've done for us…" he said, "I thought it was only fair you could make a wish."

"Really?" I perked up. "Does that mean I can-"

"It can't bring anyone back from the dead," Mamar shook her head sadly.

"Oh…" I said. I stood up and walked a few paces, feeling exhausted. I then said the first thing I could think of:

"I wish I was home."

Just like that, wind started billowing. It seemed like I was at the center of a tornado. The whole room faded away into multi-colored dust, revealing a long pit of light and images. I screamed as I fell, down, down, down…

* * *

My eyes shot open. I was staring up at the wooden ceiling above. I slowly sat up and looked around. This room… wait… it was my room!

I jumped out of bed and ran out, looking in a mirror. The face looking back at me was my own. I felt it with my face.

"So it was a dream…" I muttered to myself. Shaking my head, I returned to my bed, thinking such an exhausting dream deserves more sleep. I stopped short when I saw what was in the bed.

Sitting there on the covers was the Star Rod.

My hand shaking, I picked it up and examined it. Sure enough, it was defiantly the real deal. I wasn't hallucinating. Shaking my head, I flopped on my bed.

"Okay, I don't know WHAT that was," I muttered, my voice muffled by my mattress. "Right now, I don't care. I just want to rest and-"

"Pax?" my mom's voice called from a few rooms away. "Are you awake? C'Mon, breakfast is ready!"

_Breakfast? _I thought. I looked at my watch and groaned. October 20th, 2009. Tuesday. School day.

"You'd think after having a dream like I had, you could have the day off…" I muttered, sitting up. "Coming, mom!"

Leaving the Star Rod on my bed, I left my room. I had no idea then, but this was just the beginning of something crazier than I ever would have thought possible.

* * *

_**Enter Iuka:**_

* * *

I sighed as I stared into the sea below, waiting for George to come back with tickets on the next boat out. I couldn't help but let my mind wander as I remembered Coron. His dark skin… his white eyes… his-

"Iuka."

I turned to see George walking toward me.

"Did you get the tickets?" I asked him.

"Yup," nodded George, sitting down next to me. "We're going to Rougeport."

"Rougeport?" I asked him. "Where's that?"

"Some kind of port town to the south," George said. "Hey… remember the guys we used to travel with?"

"You mean Team Nightmare?" I asked him. "Yes, I know them. What about them?"

"They're playing as a band in Toad Town Square," laughed George. "They call themselves 'The Nightmare Experience'. Crazy, huh?"

I couldn't help but laugh as well.

"I certainly didn't see that coming," I sighed.

"I did," George said, leaning back. "What with their interest in music and the fact they all lost themselves to the music last time we saw them… it was only a matter of time, really."

"Are they any good?" I asked him.

"They're not the Ramones, but they're alright," George shrugged. I blinked.

"Who are the Ramones?" I asked him, tilting my head.

"…never mind," George shook his head. We were both silent as we stared out into the horizon.

"Do you think… we'll ever see him again?" I whispered. George sighed and ruffled my hair.

"Kid," he said, "I have no idea. I do know, however, that our boat's leaving in a minute. C'Mon, we better get going."

He stood up and walked toward the boat waiting for us. Sighing, I stood up and followed. I took one last look at the horizon, thinking:

_One day, Coron… we'll meet again, I know it. I love you…_

With that, I climbed aboard the boat. The horn sounded, and we set off.

* * *

_**Enter Merlin(?):**_

* * *

I shuddered as I felt the boy leave the dream.

"Wow," I sighed, leaning back. "THAT was impressive."

"Oh was it now?" a familiar voice asked. I turned my head to see a Ninja.

"M-master Merlin!" I shouted, jumping up and bowing.

"No need with that 'master' nonsense Nozan, we're on casual terms here," Merlin waved dismissively, pacing.

"Um… pardon me for intruding sir, but why do you continue to take that form?" I asked him as I phased back to my normal form.

"What, this?" Merlin asked, looking down at his Ninja body. "I just like it is all. Makes me feel 623 years younger!"

"Right…" I said. "So, what do you make of the Dream Keeper?"

"He is… different," Merlin said. "He managed to hold off a Nightmare without aid from the Sword of Dreams, and… he activated his Limit Break."

"He is awakening," I agreed. "It won't be long before all his powers come to full wake."

"What happens then?" Tom asked, poking his face out from behind the curtain he was hiding behind.

"Great, now the intern's getting involved in manners with the Dream Keeper…" I muttered.

"Watch it now, we are all on equal ground here at this moment," Merlin said. "He has as much of a right to know as you do."

I muttered and crossed my arms. Merlin was a genius, the greatest Dreamer we ever had, but he was just too nice sometimes!

"To answer your question, Tom," Merlin said, turning to the intern, "when all of Pax's powers awaken… he will be ready to face off against the Lord of Nightmares."

"And then we'll win the war finally, right?" Tom asked excitedly. "No more running and hiding from Nightmares?"

"If the Dream Keeper's strong enough," I said.

"He will be strong enough," Merlin said with a smile. "I have faith…"

"If you say so, sir…" I sighed.

With that, Merlin created a portal and we left the dream and went back to HQ.

* * *

_**End of Book 1**_

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm not missin' a beat, guys! Next up will be Book 2, and that will come up as quickly as a new chapter! Man, this is going to get good FAST if I say so myself! Until next time, this is Pax the Dreamer, signing out.**


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